My Future, My Past
by Vanessa St. Cloud
Summary: (Complete! Epilogue up!) Merlock's past is a mystery to everyone, even him. His lost past has come back to haunt him and may kill his friends to bring him to it forever. The price, the truth, and....is it really over? -evil laugh-
1. Prologue-Little Boy Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of "Flint: The Time Detective," at all **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of "Flint: The Time Detective," at all. Enjoy and review!!

**SPECIAL NOTE: Flint is not the main focus of this story, Merlock Holmes, the handsome and bishonen vampire boy, and Sara Goodman are, their love growing towards, this taking place 3 years after the Dark Lord changed his ways, the first chapter anyway.

**_My Future, My Past_**

Prologue

Little Boy Blue

**_~_** _Viso, Romania; 1537 ~_

****

Amidst the night engulfed town of Viso, far from the eyes of most people of Romania, since mountains surrounded it on almost all side, nothing can be heard but the screams of agony from the inhabitants of the once quiet place.

Only the screams could be heard by inhuman ears, the wolves howling their love song to the full moon above as the town below writhed in agony as the unholy flames ripped through every cottage and citizen that was in its way. People were torn apart, bone and sinew spread around like decorations on shattered statues and the rubble of homes, screams of those barely alive erupting every so often.

Only one person wasn't screaming, wasn't suffering the pain the town was, but from another. One little boy panting so hard he thought his heart would burst from his chest, his ruby eyes puffy and wet from his crying. His white clothes were stained with soot and dirt, and a little blood that had splashed upon his back, and some in his short lavender hair that sank slowly down his light blue cheeks. 

He didn't care what was on him, so long as he didn't have to be hurt like those people. He saw a few of them dying before he started to run from town, from his mother's dying words urging him to escape. He wanted to stay with her, she was all he'd had in life, but the look in her pale blue eyes told him that he would only hurt his mother's heart further if he remained. 

Her pendant was banging against his little chest, making a bruise from the speeds he was hitting, and his mother's ruby tipped wand she'd strapped to his back started to feel as heavy as a house. The boy yelped and tripped over a rock as he heard another shrill scream rip through the air, then silence. He was almost afraid to get up, the silence making him deaf from lasting so long. Finally, he lifted his small head up and turned it towards the town far in the distance. His heart sank, forcing him to scramble to his feet and start running again. 

'The darkness….the darkness that killed them, it knows I'm out here. I won't let it get me. I don't want to die….Mama….I need you, Mama. Why is this happening?' his mind screamed, his pace quickening more now as the sounds of hateful growls and howling winds grew behind him.

He didn't know how long he ran before the sounds faded, how many times he got scraped across his slim legs and arms before he made it to the forest, but he didn't care. He was alive, in pain, but he was alive. When the boy was sure he was safe, the sounds gone from his keen ears, he collapsed to his knees, all scuffed and stained with his own blood. He breathed in hard as he rested his tired and hurt body, not caring what he was to do next. Surviving was what his mother wanted him to do, so he'd do it, for her sake.

"I don't even know where I am. Mama never took me out of the village….or the house, cause I was born….this way," the boy said in his whispery voice, staring at his light blue hands, the same color as his entire body was," Cause I'm a freak. How can I survive looking like this? Mama….why did you have to die….why?"

The boy started to cry again, smashing his face into the palms of his hands to let it all out, all the pain he was feeling. He was only six years old, what did he know about survival or death. He never thought he'd see anyone die, let alone so many dying so horribly. Then there was the dark spectral cloud that came, the thing that started killing after the town had kidnapped his mother. Perhaps they'd seen him and thought his mother was a witch. They tried to burn her at the stake, he knew that was the fate of witches, but he didn't think it was fair even if his mother was one. Witches had a right to live too, same as he did. 

__

People fear what they don't understand, Merlock. I am sorry to tell you this, but humans are this way, but don't hate them for this, they can't help themselves. Try and forgive…._and protect them._

His mother's own words from a few weeks ago, the day he'd tried to go outside to play in the December snow on his birthday. He always had to watch the town children from their attic window playing in the tufts of wonderful, sparkling snow, making snowmen and having snowball fights, catching snowflakes on their pink tongues. He wanted to play with them so badly, he had been very lonely for six long years. 

True, he'd had his mother around all the time, but he wanted friends to play with, people his own age, but his mother forbade it. His skin was too different from the pretty peach skinned human children, his little fangs would cause distress and above all, his mother didn't want him to get hurt by their fear.

Merlock rubbed his reddened and sniffling little nose as his tears ceased to fall, his eyes empty of them. He'd cried so much today, he had to bet he'd never cry again. Merlock didn't want to protect the humans, not after what they did to his mother, but they got what they deserved. He just never thought it would happen, he never knew such terrible things lived in the castle a few miles from the town. Still, what was done was done, no one could undo it, and no one could give him his mother back.

He sighed a little and picked himself up, starting as he heard a sigh precede his, a feminine one. Merlock waited a moment, perking his ears up a little to locate the sound's source. He heard a different sound, but still feminine. It was a small yawn. He started towards it. 'Maybe a traveler….sleeping soundly I hope. I haven't eaten since supper last night….she won't mind if I take a little of her food, just a little.' He thought, creeping slowly towards the sound.

As he reached it, he ducked carefully into a bush, peering out ever so slowly to see what he was dealing with. He didn't smell any food, but he smelled something along the lines of very powerful flowers. He stung at his nose, but after a while, it grew pleasant. As his eyes blinked a few times, he let his jaw drop as he tried to fathom what he was looking at. 

It was a young woman, maybe in her early 20's, with short and bright red hair wearing a strange white outfit. She was wearing pants, very unlike women he had seen through the attic window and very unlike his mother. He crept out of hiding to get a better look at what she was leaning on. It was an odd thing, shaped like a horse, but it was white and shiny. He poked it with a curious finger, yanking it back instantly. It was so cold and hard too. 

Merlock had never seen something so strange, the little flashing orbs and other various shapes on the horse thing's head. He didn't understand it, but there was no reason to destroy it. The woman was a human, he knew that, but she and her strange thing looked very harmless to him. He walked around her and his face lit up at the side of her strange green sack. It was large, probably big enough to hold two Christmas turkeys inside it. 

"I wish…oops…." He said, catching himself before he could say anymore. The woman stirred a bit, but didn't wake. He sighed in relief and pushed the bag open, pressing the little snaps he saw that held the thing closed. There was something in there, something that smelled delicious and sweet, and there was plenty of it. 'Candy maybe….Candy counts.' He thought, drooling slightly at the wonderful scent. 

It took his senses in so much that he crawled in the sack and starts eating the sweet foods, some very crunchy, some smooth, but all good. He was so busy eating he never even heard the sounds erupt from within the forest, the sounds he'd been running from.

Merlock suddenly felt the sack jerk up, the top getting shut. "What the hell is that!?" he heard the woman say, her movements starting to make his stomach lurch dangerously. When he finally stopped eating and let his ears focus, he felt like throwing up all over again. The darkness found him again, he hadn't lost it after all. He tried to cry out, but the wind got knocked out of him as the sack was rammed on something hard and warm, the woman's back. Then he felt some pressure on his head and a loud whirring noise drowned out the hatred of the darkness. He shut his eyes as his entire body tingled, feeling as if he was leaving his body completely in one sudden thrust. Merlock did the only thing he could in his condition, he passed out.

~ _Japan**, **25th Century** ~**_

Jillian Gray got off her Time Cycle gingerly, her suited superior smiling at her in the most dignified manner, his suit of fine black reflecting exactly how she felt. "Jillian, why are you back so soon? Time is not just money, it's for the sake of the future. Why didn't you give me proper warning of your return?" he asked, smoothing one hand through his greasy black hair.

She shook her head with a sigh, her backpack feeling much heavier than it did when she went to the past. "I got the job done, the caravan got out of Viso safe and sound. I took a nap in a nearby forest waiting for you to call me back….then this living and screaming cloud started tearing through the woods at me. It looked like a mess of….I don't really know. It just was so inhuman, I don't know what it was at all. That was why I came back before you called, whenever it touched any of the trees, they either exploded or withered into ashes. I was not intent on losing my life for that….whatever it was, sir." Jillian said crisply, her eyes the perfect reflection of calm.

The man smiled at her. "Good thinking, best not to get involved with what occurs in the past more than permitted, it is against regulation. You are our best Time Detective. It will be a terrible loss to the force if you get promoted to chief when I retire. You'll get the same privileges I have now, talking to the boss straight from the Land of Time. You're not too far off." He smiled, patting her on the shoulder, but she remained stiff, as stiff as she could manage with the weight in her pack suddenly shifting.

Then her sack made a noise, like someone waking up. Her superior heard it too, his eyebrows raising dangerously high. "What was that?" he asked.

Jillian shook her head, taking off the backpack carefully. "I have no idea….it does seem heavier than before. All I had were some candy and granola bars in there, along with some emergency gear." Jillian said as calmly as ever.

"Open it up….let's see what you've got hiding in there, Detective." He said, his eyes curious now as the bag shuffled a bit. Jillian readily obeyed, getting behind the bag before flipping the top open and dumping its contents out quickly.

At first, all she saw was a swirl of blue and white, with a small cry mixed in with them, then shiny silver candy wrappers raining down around it. As she and her superior focused on the bundle, they saw the strangest little boy sitting amidst Jillian's things. At first, she thought it might have been a doll, knowing full well no human could ever have such blue skin, but when it yelped and shook its little head she knew it was alive.

The boy looked up, scared obviously, at them. His small ruby eyes were blinking curiously a moment then became guarded, a small fang seen sticking out of his mouth. He was dressed in a once white tunic, now stained with blood, soot and dirt, tattered something terrible. He had cuts and cruised all over his exposed blue skin, his lavender hair even stained with a bit of gore Jillian bet even he wasn't aware of. He had a curious looking ruby tipped stick strapped to his back, the perfect ruby glimmering like a garnet of pure blood, exactly like his eyes.

"Jillian….what is he? Is he from the time we sent you to?" her superior asked at last. He tried reaching for the boy, but the boy scuttled backwards, hissing. Jillian shook her head, dumbfounded for the first time in her life. 

"I have no idea….I didn't even know he was inside. He must have found me sleeping and tried…to borrow my food." She said, as if pondering each word.

The boy looked at her at that moment, his crimson eyes startling her. "I was hungry. I haven't eaten since supper last night. At least I got to live after eating, the darkness didn't get me….or you." He said in a whispery and sweet little voice, sounding apologetic.

Jillian cocked her head to the side, then nodded. "Yes, I saw this darkness. Do you know what it was….uh, boy?" she asked.

He scrunched his face up at her, making his cute face very angry looking. "My name is not boy and stop staring. My name is Merlock Holmes of the town of Viso….and no, the darkness just came suddenly, after….after the town burned my mother to death." He spat out, sniffling suddenly.

Jillian took a breath, then stepped towards the child. He didn't seem to notice her, his mind lost in the painful memory he'd described. "I'm sorry your mother suffered, Merlock, and I am sorry that I have to say this….but you must go back. Keeping you here might change history and tear the tapestry of time apart. You have to go back. I am sorry, Merlock, but you belong in the past, not here in the 25th century." She said, patting his shuddering shoulder. 

He slapped her hand away, his angry look returning. This time he was growling at her, his mouth showing off perfectly the white two fangs. 

"Human rules….vampires have no rights. I should have known. You'd leave a little boy to die cause he's different. Humans….there's nothing humane about you things." He spat, then tried to run from her. Sadly for him, he crashed right into the waiting arms of her superior, which sent the boy into a fit of screaming and kicking.

"Jillian, use your erase beam remote on him. It should put him to sleep long enough for you to take him back and leave him in his own time." he said.

Jillian readily obeyed, pulling the pocket size device out of her breast pocket. She put it up to the struggling boy's temple and pressed the button. A flash of red engulfed his head a moment, his body quieting for a moment.

As her superior started to loosen his grip on Merlock, the boy kicked him square in the jaw. "That felt weird….you big bully. What did you do to my head?" the boy demanded and then kicked the man in the shins.

Jillian grabbed him up as her superior went bouncing around the room in pain from the kick, yowling a million curses little boys were never meant to hear. Merlock promptly put his hands over his ears until the man's mouth stopped opening, looking up innocently at him all the while.

Merlock grinned at him, content he'd gotten back at the man. Then he became aware of the woman holding him up and a light pat on his head, like his mother once did. It made him feel a little better. 

"Do I still have to go back….If you do, all your tapestry of time stuff will haunt you. I remember everything you said. I'm in the 25th century and your name is Jillian Gray and you're a Time Detective. Your silly….memory wiper thingy didn't work on me." Merlock said very proudly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jillian smiled slightly at the boy's retort, patting his head again. "Yes, it seems you are immune to it….possibly because of what you are….but I have never heard of a blue vampire race in history, or any of them for that matter. Was your mother one?" she asked.

"No….," he said sadly, a sniffle erupting from him," But Mama was a vampire, though my father made her into one. She just wasn't something called a pure Azure vampire. That's what she said my father was. I think he died before I was born or something, Mama would cry whenever I asked. Can we talk about something else, like where I go from here?"

"That sounds good. Um, my superior will talk to the Old Timer of the Land of Time, we need to know if your stowing away in my backpack had any impact on history, discreetly. Only the mention of a blue vampire will be made, no names, safer that way. I gather your race would stand out….then we discuss what we do with you here. Till then….I suppose I shall take care of you, Merlock," she told him, rumpling his silky lavender hair, then looked towards her boss," Does that sound feasible, sir?"

Her superior nodded and walked angrily out of the room, giving little Merlock a dirty look. Merlock stuck his tongue out at him just as the man shut the door. 'What a day….now my parents and I have this little blue bundle of spitfire to care for….though, he's a cute one. Perhaps, he might grow up stronger and stronger in the future, a vampire would be a welcome ally to the Time Police. Hmm, there's a thought, and a plan.' She thought, kissing the little boy's cheek lightly before taking him out of the room. He rubbed it off, making disgusted noises, but then he giggled and threw his tiny bruised arms around her neck.

"Heh, sweet, Merlock. But first, let's get you checked out by the Time Police medical staff." She told him, but he shook his head. 

"I'm a fast healer, all vampires are, even at toddler ages. I'll be fine in an hour or so, m'lady Jillian. Can we get some mutton or duck to eat instead? Candy isn't a healthy meal, you know." He chirped, his face in hers and looking very cheerful.

"Even better, I'll introduce you to the 25th century equivalents, hamburgers and pizza." She smiled back. He looked a bit puzzled by her words, but she knew it wouldn't be forever. He'd learn, he'd have to. He was going to be in this century for the rest of his life. Modern Japan was the little Azure vampire orphan's home now.


	2. Ch. 1- Dreams and Nightmares Come True

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of "Flint: The Time Detective," at all **__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of "Flint: The Time Detective," at all. Please enjoy and review!!

Chapter 1

Dreams and Nightmares Come True

Present Time**: ~ 11 Years Later ~**

Mission Log Time**: ~ Shaolin, China; 1500's ~**

Everything had been fine when the mission had started, Merlock had made good time in reaching the Shaolin Monastery, despite Bindi's complaints that she was getting tired of moving so fast. Same old Bindi, but she was his friend and Time Shifter, at least until she realized she should be with her own kind. Merlock sighed inwardly at that thought, being the only blue vampire in any era, past or present, made him envy Bindi in a way. He had to be with humans since none of his own kind ever came back for him like Jillian had said his clan promised.

He wished he could recall them, but every time he tried, he got a headache. 'Lousy therapist's fault….all because of childhood nightmares, he represses it all instead of trying to get me to face it. Ah, this is not the time to ask for a headache, I have to stop Petra Fina from ruining the chance of the Shaolin Kung Fu from being founded. Why did Change choose to come to this era? He knows the effect he has on people with his powers.' Merlock thought, his face going stern.

It was really a simple mission, ensure that the Shaolin Monastery would found the art of Shaolin Kung Fu and get Change back to the Land of Time before Petra reached him. Petra had been nothing but trouble after the child Dark Lord went back to the Land of Dread a year ago, trying to steal everything she could throughout time, Flint and Merlock always around to stop her. Yet this time, Jillian had only sent Merlock to go after Petra and save the tapestry of time. 

It wasn't as if he minded doing things solo, he's been a time Detective since he was ten years old, the missions were all the same to him. What made the missions done by his lonesome so tedious was that Sara wasn't around. She always made him brighten up right away, just looking at her great beauty and hearing silvery voice, and even if the Time Shifters changed her form, she was still Sara on the inside. She was till the same wonder, kind, loving, and an aura that just said to him a special word," angel."

Now here he was, alone with Bindi and hiding in the rafters of the monastery while watching the monks marvel over Change's gold making abilities. He smiled a bit, sighing gently, not thinking about the glitter of gold at all. Everything wasn't as beautiful as his pretty Sara, and he'd been able to see her on more missions than when she had only been accompanying Flint.

But after the near destruction of the Land of Time, Jillian made Dr. Goodman forbid Sara and Tony from traveling with Flint unless they legally trained hard and study to become Time Detectives like Flint. Sara had passed the test with flying colors after six months, but Tony wasn't so fortunate. Merlock gathered with w wistful smile that anyone who thought the Alamo was a fancy dessert and that scarabs were Egyptian roaches was never meant for the Time Police. Tony had proved just that is getting over half of the world's history wrong and wrote an report on Flint's escapades instead of the Ming Dynasty he was supposed to write about. Flint was only with him since Flint was already a Time Detective, so Flint was his Time Chaperon for the essay part of the test. Merlock was Sara's, taking her to the past of Rome, where Julius Caesar was the topic. He behaved, as much as it hurt not to comment on how lovely she was looking. She'd grown as tall as he had been when they met, but Tony was taller.

In the end, Tony was grumbling with the word "Failed" stamped in red on his tests and Sara got a red stamp of "Approved," making Merlock and Sara very happy. He'd been so happy he hugged her, then Bindi bopped him on the head for it, but Sara hadn't pulled away from him. It had been a good day, Sara was a Time Detective just like he was, and he could see her on her own missions.

'I can see my angel throughout time, and we have all the time in the world….wish she was here. I could use some company. Well, Bindi counts, but….'he thought, looking over slightly at his Time Shifter. He had to frown, Bindi's eyes were all aglow and starry, a little drool coming out of her mouth as she stared at the gold below them. Bindi deserved the best of everything, according to Bindi, and she said she deserved him too. Merlock knew how she felt, but he didn't feel that way for one powerful reason, she was a Time Shifter, meant only to be with her own kind. He was meant for humans and his own kind, the clan he'd never seen. He loved only Sara, no other female could compare to his angel of light, his goddess Time Detective, his everything. 

He looked away as Bindi started a bit, turning her body to look at him. She missed him frowning at her, only seeing his stern expression staring down at the monks. Change looked happy enough, and a few monks only remarked on how generous Change was and kind. Change liked that, apparently.

Merlock sighed, sorry he'd have to take Change from his new friends, but he was messing with Time again. He straightened himself up, hearing a little gasp come out of Bindi. "Oh Merlie, can we take some of the gold with us after we grab Change? It seems like a real waste of all that sparkly stuff. I could make some great jewelry for myself with it." Bindi said coyly, rubbing up against Merlock's face. 

He nearly lost his balance and had to ram his wand into the rafters to steady himself. "No Bindi, once we take Change out of here, that gold will turn back into food. We can't leave any trace of Change being here, he's already in enough trouble for time jumping without permission from the Old Timer, do you want to join him in being reprimanded for trying to abuse his abilities too?" Merlock whispered to her, his ruby eyes still focused on Change.

He was about to leap off the rafters, with a planned roll and another leap out the window a couple feet away from Change's front, when Bindi kissed him on the cheek. "For good luck, Merlie!" she chirped loudly into his keen ears. He went deaf a moment, his footing lost. All his planning had gone down the tubes because Bindi had to get mushy, again.

Merlock landed face first on Change, getting a mouthful of golden charms stuffed in his face. He spat the charms out, then found he was being stared down at curiously by the monks. A few were backing up, whispering words like "demon" and "monster" at him. He cringed a bit, more about of embarrassment that his plan had been ruined than at being called names. He was proud of who he was, his looks didn't matter to him even if they mattered to others, or so they didn't matter as much to himself as he wanted to admit.

Merlock finally remembered his mission as the monks had backed away enough, grabbing Change up quickly before bolting for the window. As he did this, he whipped out his Memory Erase beam remote and zapped the monks, putting them to sleep, to wake up with no memory of Merlock or Change. It was a sloppy recovery, he had to admit, but the tapestry of time was still at stake. He couldn't just up and run and not erase their memories, lest they remain entranced by the riches that Change provided. He made it through, only to fall into a mud puddle, but he kept moving. He ran as fast as his vampire legs could carry him, Change whimpering under his arm and Bindi panting as she tried to float after them.

"Merlock! Wait up, you got a head start!" she shouted, but Merlock went on until he felt he was well enough away. He bent over a little to catch his breath, then his eyes widened as he heard Bindi screech over and past him. He lifted his head a bit to see that Bindi had sped up and if he hadn't bent over, she would have crashed into the back of his head. Bindi vanished from his sights after a minute, her little pink body floating at top speed towards a forest in the distance. 

"I guess she'll learn how I felt when I was ramming into trees. Bindi, sometimes you're more of a klutz than I am. Still, I got you, Change. You're in trouble with the Old Timer for leaving the Land of Time so suddenly. Why did you come here?" Merlock said casually, looking down at a shivering Change.

The little change purse shaped Time Shifter looked up at him sadly, then blushed a bit. "I missed making people smile. The Land of Time is full of fertility and peace, no one is ever sad there, except the Time Shifters. We have each other, but still, we all love to make humans happy. I just wanted to see some humans smile again, that's all." Change replied. Merlock smiled at him, shaking his head. 

"I know how that feels….smiling is a good thing. I may not be a human, but I know how nice making people smile can be. Still, the Old Timer is going to have a long chat with you. Sorry, but that's how it is. Time is very precious, Change. Just be brave and everything will be fine…." Merlock told him.

No sooner had Change nodded was he yanked out of Merlock's grasp from behind. He whipped his body about, taking out his wand defensively to see who took Change from him. He sneered as his red eyes met the dull red's of his familiar foe. 

"Petra Fina! I might have known. You best let change go, your stamp has no effect with the Dark Lord no longer aiding you. Let him go and put your hands up. You're under arrest." Merlock announced, pointing his wand right at the emerald-haired villain. She just laughed at him, making Merlock's look sour.

"In your dreams, vampire boy, you're so arrogant. You think you can boss around the queen of evil and the best time bandit ever born, not to mention the most beautiful woman in creation? Ah hahahahaaa!" Petra laughed, Dino and Mite beside her just looking depressed about what she just said. Her carrying on and laughing just made them shrug and look at each other blandly. "What's she talking about? She hasn't even used her wrinkle cream enough to say that." Dino let out.

Mite shrugged a bit. "Beats me, humans have a strange interpretation of beauty. It happens when you get older." Petra heard them amidst her laughing, showing it by the obvious vein throbbing in her forehead and her gritting teeth. She kicked and punched them both into the ground, keeping a good grip on Change, but barely.

"Who asked you ugly ignoramuses?! Never interrupt me while I'm gloating, I never even got to the best part. About my insurance that he doesn't follow us to the Catamaran." She yelled, then looked pleasantly at Merlock. He waited a moment as she reached into an unseen pocket with her free hand, then pulled out something that made his heart nearly stop.

It was a simple silver charm bracelet, one he'd purchased for Sara's 14th birthday to further show his affection, a computer charm, a heart charm, and a pen charm dangling from it, all shimmering like little stars. Sara had given him a welcome hug for it, though he would have preferred a kiss. A hug was good enough, trying to rush things so he could feel her love always wound up giving him bad luck and painful consequences. Patience was a virtue, she'd told him as she hugged him. She knew him well enough to know he wanted a kiss very badly, but she wasn't ready to give him one. He could live with that if it made her happy. She had never been without that bracelet, she wore it everywhere, even on missions.

"Sara?! What have you done with my beloved angel, you fiend!?" he hissed, the ruby on his wand glowing dangerously. Petra just smirked and twirled the bracelet on her finger as little Change started crying. "In the next, oh say, five minutes, Sara and dearest little Flint are going to have a barbecue, with their bodies. Seems they were sent as back up in case I'd already gotten to Change. It was so easy to bribe Flint with good disguises and a fake feast and trap him and your precious little….acquaintance. It's a little cottage in the forest, but then again, if you try and stop me, poor Sara will burn alive. Or you can surrender and trade Change for their lives. The choice is yours, tick tock, tick tock, come on, four minutes left now, blue boy." Petra laughed.

Merlock's entire body ached with pain. His Sara was going to die if he didn't decide quickly. Bindi was nowhere to be seen, so she couldn't help him or go free the others for him. Merlock stared almost tearfully at Petra as he tried to decide, then his head sunk low and he clenched his white-gloved hands into fists for a moment, then his hands fell limply to his sides. "I….I'll make the trade, Change for my friends….Now take me to them….Or by heaven I'll…." He was saying, struggling for control.

Petra laughed again, she and her henchmen approaching his sullen form. "Good choice. Now move it….we mustn't be late or they'll start cooking without us." Petra chuckled as Merlock turned around and walked ahead. Dino and Mite were making yummy noises, rubbing their hands together and licking their mutated lips. 

"I could use a hot meal. Even that fake food would have been ok." Dino beamed, Mite nodded heartily in agreement. Petra growled and kicked them both in their rears, then shoved at Merlock's back to get him moving again.

**_~ Forest Cottage ~_**

Dino bound Merlock's wrists during the brief walk through the lush forest, doing a pretty good job as his wrists were bruising each time he struggled against them. When they reached their destination, Merlock found it was a house not native to China, not in his studies anyway. The fact that it looked like a log cabin was the first dead giveaway, but it looked like it had been put together in a terrible hurry. He frowned at it and made a noise in his throat, then got bopped on the head by Petra.   
"We put a lot of effort into that house. Not everyday you can steal a do-it-yourself model, so don't know my labors."

"What labors? You took nap while we did all the work." Dino replied, his usual ditzy tone lacing his words. Dino just had his short arms crossed over his chest and nodded. Petra hit them both, then turned on Merlock, who was still looking at the house.

"Where's Sara? You said if I did as you asked you'd let her and Flint go. Keep your part of the bargain." Merlock said, anger filtering through his normally calm tone. 

Petra started laughing again, making Merlock's skin crawl. He turned his head to look at her, the smug expression on her face making him frown deeper. "Did I say that? I just said for Change I'd get in a trade for their lives. You can do whatever you want with their lives for as long as your body is away from the blaze. Did I forget to mention that, well nah, nah! I'm a villain so I have a full right to double-cross you, Mr. Goody-goody vampire freak! Isn't that right, boys?" Petra said proudly, squeezing Change very tightly. The poor Time Shifter was starting to turn purple.

Dino and Mite nodded feverishly. "It's right in the villain handbook, Petra. Like you always say, _'It's the only way to learn the meaning of mean.'_"

Merlock hissed at them, but Petra was already behind him, shoving him towards the house. "Be dears, my boys, and open the door for dear Merlock, I bet he'll be thrilled that his last sights will be of his beloved friends writhing in flaming agony. I'll go down in history as the most talented and merciless time bandit that ever lived along with my already long list of wonderful achievements."

Merlock resisted, abusing his wrists further in his frantic struggling. 'I can't let Sara die….I have to fight back. I can save them all. I can. I'm a vampire for God's sake, I've always had their gifts, their strengths, their powers, if there was ever a time I needed them, now would be the right time! For Sara!' his mind spilled frantically, and his dug his heels into the ground, pushing back on Petra. She was shoving at him still, but he was moving her backwards with all the raw strength he could muster. His wrists were struggling harder and faster with each push, the bonds that held them behind his back breaking after a minute. In the same second, he shoved backwards on Petra with all his might, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Merlock fell right on top of her, both elbows aimed at her stomach. As they hit, Petra screeched and leapt out from under Merlock, letting go of Change in her hysterical screaming. The startled Time Shifter landed happily on Merlock's chest, then was bounced off into his hand.

"Trying to be cute, huh? Dino! Mite! Set the place on fire! If I can't have my way, he can't have his friends!" Petra ordered, holding her bruised ribs in pain. Before Merlock could even get up, Bindi came out of nowhere and rammed into his chest. "How dare you leave me behind, Merlie! Do you have any idea what I have been through? I got my beautiful face stuck in a tree and you didn't come to help me. How could you be so thoughtless?! Yipe!" Bindi was shrieking, then Merlock batted her away and sprinted for the building.

"I don't have time for this, Bindi! Turn into your master form! You too change, don't let Petra get away! I have to save Sara and Flint!" Merlock growled, ramming himself through the poorly constructed door.

"Men….so bossy." Bindi scowled.

"Hey, no fair, I'm male!" Change snapped.

Bindi just sighed and looked at Petra and her crew. "It's all their fault, so let's teach them a lesson!" Bindi announcing, her body starting to glow as she went at the villains.

~

"Sara! Flint! Where are you? -cough-cough- Answer me!" Merlock shouted, his eyes watering at all the smoke and heat surrounding him. He didn't feel the heat the same way as most people did unless it was too close for comfort. Especially when one was in a burning house, the heat could be downright unbearable, but Merlock stood it as best he could. He'd heal from flames by tomorrow, no sacrifice was too great for Sara.

"Merlock….help….I'm above you." It was Flint's chirpy voice, but it sounded a little weak. 'Fake food….oh yeah. Least now I can be the hero for Sara….once I find her.' Merlock thought, looking up. Flint was hanging by his legs from the ceiling, tied up like a giant spider had cocooned him. His granite axe father Rocky was hanging next to him, a rope tied to his, the only one with enough strength to struggle and make himself look like an oversized pendulum. 

"Never fear, Merlock is here. Hah!" Merlock said dramatically, leaping upwards. He pulled a golden-hilted dagger out from his cape and sliced both the Hammerhead's free, taking special care to catch Flint so the cave-boy wouldn't land on his head. Merlock landed with ease on the rickety floors, narrowly dodging a flaming portion of the ceiling as it came crashing down.

He untied them quickly, wasting no time in asking," Where's Sara?! Petra said she was here too!" Flint looked terribly weak, but he managed to look Merlock in the face. "In the back room. Over there!" Flint said, pointing to his left," We'll try and….oh….help you."

Merlock patted the young boy's head and smiled. "About a mile from here is the Shaolin Monastery, There should be a mess of food around the sleeping monks. If Change's powers have faded. If not, they have a big thing of rice and fish in their kict…..en" Merlock was saying, then he found he was talking to a puff of smoke. Flint had probably only heard the words food, fish and rice, running off the moment Merlock stopped saying food names. 

"Where'd that energy come from….well, he'll be back soon. Petra's not my concern anymore, my superiors will understand. Sara is more important than some stupid time bandit with no taste in clothes." He said aloud, rushing to the door, but it wouldn't open. Locked….well, I'll just have to use force. I'm coming Sara!!" he shouted, ramming his shoulder as fast as he could into the door Flint had pointed to earlier.

After absorbing the initial pain of his actions first, he kept ramming it, the wood giving way slightly with every hit. When he finally got through, he felt unnaturally warm. Maybe it was seeing Sara in a yellow tank top and her usual baggy jeans, her maturing body being shown off slightly. She was out cold too, a burn on her arm.

That wasn't it exactly as he started getting a lot warmer, looking back to see that his cape had caught fire. He tossed it away frantically, not bothering to stamp it out. Merlock went for Sara instead. He made his way carefully towards her, untying her bruised wrists and ankles before bringing her close to his body. 

_Help me please! _

Merlock stiffened a moment, then started looking around. Sara's lips hadn't moved, but it wasn't her voice he'd heard. It sounded like an older woman, maybe Jillian's age. Still, it had come out of nowhere and sounded as if it were everywhere.

_Help me! Don't burn me!! Help, somebody, please!!!_

Merlock leapt to his feet, holding his precious package as tightly to his body as he could. "Who's there? Madame? Where are you?" he shouted, only the loud crackling of the burning house filling his ears for a moment. He started to leave.

_RUN! RUN AWAY AND NEVER LOOK BACK! _

The scream had been so sudden, it scared him, so much that it made him break into a run as the house began to collapse. Burning wood and metal crashed behind as he sprinted, the doorframe bursting into flames before he could reach it, but he kept going. 'This is really going to sting, but anything for Sara. I won't let anything hurt her, I'd die for you, beloved.' He thought, shutting his eyes as he covered Sara's body with his own as best he could, and launched his body backwards out the door. He and Sara rolled across the ground, away from the flaming house just moment before it fell in on itself, burning to ashes.

Merlock couldn't move at first, almost frozen at escaping death so closely. Then he felt his bundle breathe beneath him, her lips moving against his pale blue neck. He couldn't suppress the blush, even if he knew it was an accidental touch. It was warm and soft, like a fresh rose petal. He sighed contently, trying to enjoy the moment. Then the breathing started to get faster.

He looked down to see Sara staring up at him, her cheeks beet red and her eyes wide and startled. "M….Merlock….cough….what happened?" she choked out. He frowned and helped her sit up, while he knelt before her, ignoring the pain in his own body. It felt far away to the pain in his heart, seeing his Sara injured and scared. He too off his jacket and put it around her, inspecting her wounds. They were too bad, just bright red marks and a few cuts. The bleeding had stopped, but her slender arms had several spatters of blood. 

The more he stared at it, the bigger they seemed to get, something rumbling inside his mind, a craving he couldn't describe. It felt overwhelming, driving him crazy with this strange feeling.

"Merlock!? What wrong?" Sara's voice shattered his thoughts and he found his face was a few inches away from her blood-stained arm. He back away, blushing with embarrassment. 'Why did I do that? Maybe the smoke fumes got to me…..yeah, that's it, made me hear voices and feel funny.' He thought, then smiled at Sara.

"Just checking your wounds. I'll get you to a doctor as soon as Flint gets back, pretty Sara. He should have no problems in doing so with Bindi-Master and Change-Master helping him and Mr. Hammerhead. I'm more worried about toy than Petra. You're more important than anything, even my own life." He said proudly, wincing a bit as he tried moving one of his legs.

Sara noticed it and looked down, covering her mouth with her hand. Merlock didn't understand why, his legs just hurts bit, that was all. Then she pushed him over, a frantic look on her face, and he felt a blush creep up his blue cheeks as she yanked off his shoes and leggings. "Sara darling, what are you doing?" he let out nervously.

"Your legs are bleeding….Merlock, you were kneeling in a pool of blood. We've got to get you back to the 25th century now or you'll bleed out." She said, her hands pressed tightly on the back of his calves.

He wasn't blushing anymore, but still, if anyone had been around to see them like that they would have thought otherwise. He pulled his legs away, glad that he knew why they were hurting, but not so happy that it had put Sara in a panic. He looked at her and gave her his best smile, touching her face gently. "I'm a vampire, Sara dearest, I heal fast. It's all right, see? My legs are healing….Oh, don't cry, Sara. I'm ok, really, I'm more concerned about you than myself." He told her, grimacing as she began to cry. 

Merlock blushed again as she rammed her face into his chest, clutching onto his white Victorian shirt. He didn't mind her blood getting on it or her tears. He held her after a bit of hesitation. It was always easy to spout poetry to her, to make her smile and shower her with affection, but when she was hurting or came at him, he always froze. He didn't quite understand why, but so long as he wasn't running from her, he didn't care.

Merlock patted her lovely fuchsia hair, leaning his chin atop her head with a smile. "Sara, please don't cry. I hate to see you cry, its hurts me." He told her, putting his arms around her to sooth her.

"I can't help it when you're like this….why do always act like you don't matter when you get hurt. Why do I have to matter more than your life, Merlock? I'd never forgive myself if you got really hurt trying to save me. Why do you do it?" she wept, suddenly looking up at him with her tear-flooding sapphire eyes. 

He just looked at her a moment, his smile becoming a thin, yet child-like line, his ruby eyes looking vulnerably at Sara's. "Because I love you, Sara. I'd die for you just so you would live. I'd give up anything and everything just to see you happy."

She was still looking at him, as if she'd just had a startling awakening, an epiphany to end them all. "You honestly mean that. Why? What makes me so special….you could probably have any woman you wanted, not a little girl like me.' She said, the tears still falling from her eyes.

"I don't want other women, I just want you. You're so nice to everyone, so kind and sweet, an aura of pure goodness that makes even Getalong's love beam look like a water gun. It's not just your incredible beauty, Sara, you are a pure angel to me. I'd sacrifice everything just for you….all because I love you so truly, for who you are. I've always felt this way ever since I met you. That's the truth, Sara, I mean every word I have said, past and present." He told her, his voice fully of sincerity and love.

Sara's tears slowed, her eyes softening a bit. He smiled a little more, a soft and gentle one, his eyes half closed as he gazed at her lovingly. One hand came up, but not his own. It was Sara's, cupping his right cheek in it, her eyes searching his. He unconsciously nuzzled against it, nearly purring in his throat as he did so, taking in her wonderful flower and pure scent, the softness of her skin. 

Then he felt her hand slip away, making him gasp and look at her, a little bit of fright in his eyes. "Sara….?" He asked quietly, still aware of how close they were, but he didn't let go of her.

"Merlock, you always say the nicest things to me….but you've never said that much. I mean….I've never known anyone that….talks to me like you do, then instead of helping themselves, they help me. It's all so dreamlike, like what I'm in a fairy tale. I knew how you felt about me after a while, but I didn't know it was this…deep. And that it….makes me feel like a princess." She said, her voice content and her smooth cheeks blushing slightly, her lips curving into a child-like smile and her eyes bright as stars.

Merlock smiled gently. "You are a princess, to me. You're better than all the women out there, my angel, my goddess, my light….in the darkness. No matter what it costs me, I'll love you forever, my darling Sara. No matter what, I'd do anything just to see you smile. To see your beauty, to hear your wonderful laughter, to know…just to know you were happy and alive. You're my reason for living, to protect and show my love for you. Always." He told her, his voice barely a whisper.

Sara blinked at him, a few more tears falling from her eyes, but they were different from the ones she'd shed earlier. He could almost sense it, they were tears of joy and happiness, tears that people only shed when they felt warm and wondrous inside. "Oh Merlock….that's….so….very beautiful to say. You're always so nice to me….I guess…I guess…."she was saying, rather shyly and ducked her head a bit. After a moment, she lifted her eyes to his again, her sapphire depths entrancing him further.

"You guess….what, pretty Sara?" he asked her, cocking his head to side. "I guess….I just needed more time to actually see it….with new eyes to understand how you feel…..and how I feel." She replied.

Merlock's heart started to thump madly in his chest as his ruby eyes strayed to Sara's full lips, then jerked to her eyes. She was looking down a bit, at his mouth as best he could pinpoint, then as he had done before, felt his eyes on her and looked up. He stared a few more seconds at her, then slowly moved his face towards hers.

Merlock secretly braced himself for anything that would interrupt them again, a flying Flint, a raving Bindi, a flying tree limb, animals, or even Petra's goons. He was so used to things ramming into him, preventing him from showing his love to Sara, from kissing or holding her, he had no choice but to mentally prepare his body for some kind of impact. 

He was shocked to find that the only impact he got was on his mouth, soft at first, them it became a fireworks display in his mouth and all throughout his blue body. His first kiss ever, the one he'd waited for so patiently when he'd first seen Sara, the one he'd dreamed about endlessly night after night. He was kissing the angel of his dreams and she was kissing him back. Her lips were perfect on his, soft as silk and tasted unlike anything he'd ever tasted. It was like he was tasting a million emotions at once, like a fire storm had begun to toil inside him. He felt very good, so warm unlike anything he'd ever experienced, even warmed than looking at Sara made him feel. He just sunk into it, smiling inside as the kiss deepened slowly, Sara's arms wrapped about his neck. 

It was beautiful, it was perfect, a moment he finally had, he had proved his love fully to Sara and she cared for him in return. He was so happy, he nearly cried.

Or he would have if a funnel of water hadn't slammed into them, sending them on their sides, wet and sputtering, but still in each others arms.

"Did you put out the fire, Dipper?" It was Flint's voice, followed by a very cute "Dipper." As Merlock and Sara sat up, they saw Dipper, Flint, and Rocky barreling through the forest, Dipper firing powerful funnels of water in their direction.

Merlock silently cursed to himself at the lousy timing on Flint's part. Still, Merlock and Sara had kissed and confessed their feelings in their own ways to one another, at least Flint hadn't had Dipper spray them before all that. He had to be grateful for that.

He looked at Sara with a smile, chuckling as she brushed his bangs off his face a bit. She smiled back, even though she was shivering. He stopped smiling once he saw her cuts were bleeding again. Merlock quickly thrust on his soaked shoes and leggings and then picked Sara up. "Time to get you to a doctor, my pretty one. The sooner you're all better, the sooner we can…talk some more." He said shyly, carrying her off towards their friends.

"All right….I'd love to." She told him, leaning her head against his chest gently, shivering again. He held her tighter, letting her feel a little warmth as he ran on.

**__**

To Be Continued….


	3. Ch. 2-Infatuation and Revelation

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of "Flint: The Time Detective," at all or Final Fantasy IX's "Melodies of Life **__**

Disclaimer: _I do not own anything of "**Flint: The Time Detective**," at all or **Final Fantasy IX's** "**Melodies of Life**." Please enjoy and review!! Merlock is now nineteen and Sara and Tony are sixteen, going on sixteen. Flint is eleven._

_ **Chapter 2**_

Infatuation and Revelation

_~ The Land of Time, 2 Years Later ~_

The Old Timer sat atop his floating pig and stared with deep concern at his view screen. He clicked his mouse to get a better view of the young man he was watching. The youth was trying to sleep in his bed, but only succeeded in moaning in pain and tussling his sheets about. His light blue face was scrunched up with discomfort, his eyes snapped together so tightly one would think his eyelids would rip off.

Merlock Holmes hadn't been in the cheeriest of moods for two years, ever since Petra Fina, Dino and Mite vanished from the time and space completely, but it wasn't due to the fact he wasn't getting jobs as often. It was the fact he couldn't see Sara Goodman anymore because of the lack of work. He only got to see her during missions, which was why he was always cheerful coming back or going to one, but without Petra to stop or Time Shifters to save, he could no longer see her. 

__

Alone for a while, I've been searching through the dark, 

For traces of the love you left inside my lonely heart, 

To weave by picking up the pieces that remain, 

Melodies of life - love's lost refrain.

The Old Timer felt a bit guilty about this, as he and Jillian had been the ones that forbade him from going to the Bureau of Time and Space without permission and good reason. Jillian didn't see Sara as a good reason and had reprimanded Merlock heavily for not capturing her when he had the chance. The Old Timer knew that it was a poor reason to separate Merlock from what he enjoyed being around the most, but Jillian was none too pleased Merlock had not apprehended Petra and her goons in a better and quicker manner, and maybe Sara and Flint wouldn't have been captured.

Jillian was always such a mother to the young vampire, half-breed, whatever he was now. Jillian had practically raised the boy up until she became the chief of the Bureau of Time and Space. Merlock learned very fast, becoming the youngest in training and to ascend through the ranks from such a tender age, even if Flint was now officially the youngest one, Flint had received no training.

Merlock was a good person, despite the profanities he'd screamed at Jillian for her punishment, to never go on the same missions as Sara or Flint. Yet, Merlock's attitude change didn't happen back then so quickly, more so gradually, it had hit its peak a couple months ago. Worse yet, even though those he could be around noticed it, none seemed to attempt to help and if they tried, he would throw a fit.

Merlock's personal Time Shifter Bindi had not helped things, calling Sara terrible names and that Merlock should stop letting her abuse him. Sara hadn't felt what Merlock did for she had only been twelve when she met him while he was fourteen and raging with puberty hormones, and a lonely childhood. It was no wonder Merlock sent Bindi to the Land of Time recently, as his mood just got worse and worse with her endless insulting prattle.

The young vampire had been taken from his time without warning and to make and that was really what started the entire change. The memory erase beam as useless on him now as it was when they found him. It did not work on him because he had vampire blood inside his body. Nor could even a simple therapist hypnotize all the memories he was locking away of the 25th century out of his stubborn head, not even his memories of Sara. 

They had managed to make him forget he was from the past, filling his head with ideas that Jillian had found him wandering the streets, begging for money and food, and Jillian took him in. Managing the fact that he was not from the 25th century made things easier for the Gray family to raise him. He was only six, but a real firecracker, and got even more rambunctious as time went on.

Still, Jillian did a better job raising him than anyone else, teaching him good manners, refinement, good grooming, to like himself, and really worked his mind hard. 

As a boy, Merlock's learning skills were very exceptional, so adapting him to the 25th century was simple, and the therapy helped even more, totally wiping away the past that scared the child so long ago. By age ten, he'd already passed the Time Detective exam and by age thirteen, he was out of school and working full time to protect Time and Space. 

The Old Timer had stayed out of Merlock's business so long, his absent-mindedness made him forget about the boy. He had the Dark Lord and Petra to worry about, not the Time Detectives. It took him a bit of time to remember who Merlock was since he'd grown up so much, and several hours of searching his database, but he managed eventually. He was still amazed at how well Merlock fared for someone so young.

The Old Timer smiled inwardly, recalling when Merlock first saw Sara, how his eyes lit up for the first time in years, all his training getting dedicated with one glance at Sara Goodman. It had been before the Mosbee mission, about when Jillian started to see Flint might need help if ever his appetite or Petra's cheating ways and technology proved too much for him. It was that and the fact that she was a little skeptical that an 8-year-old cave boy could defend Time and Space as well as her ward Merlock could. She had also grown quite attached to the vampire lad. The little stowaway that nearly cost Jillian her job had grown into a handsome, brilliant, and refined young man, even for a vampire.

__

Our paths they did cross, though I cannot say just why. 

We met, we laughed, we held on fast, and then we said goodbye. 

And who'll hear the echoes of stories never told? 

Let them ring out loud till they unfold.…

Right now on the Old Timer's view screen, Merlock looked anything but happy. He looked as if he was being killed in his sleep. Jillian had questioned Merlock's sudden attitude problem, but he blew it off and said it was nothing. When Jillian demanded to know what he was hiding, he did something he hadn't done since childhood, he hissed at her, baring his little fangs. He stopped after a minute and grabbed his mouth as he realized what he had done, then ran out of the room with Bindi calling after him. That had been nearly a week before Bindi was left crying on the Old Timer's doorstep, saying Merlock kicked her out.

Jillian told the Old Timer himself about how distant Merlock was becoming, and increasingly angry, but when he had suggested that perhaps he was missing Sara more than he let on, she snorted at him. Then she said crossly that she wouldn't let him fraternize with a fellow Time Detective of such low rank. She said Merlock would improve what Sara ruined in him, turning him into a klutz and slowing him down, that he'd thank her someday. The Old Timer doubted it.

If anyone was to blame any supposed friction between them, it would most likely be Jillian herself. She was very proud, thought she deserved the best and most perfect people and things around. Perfect order meant a perfect life to her, no matter what. Dr. Goodman was still pleasant to Miss Jillian no matter what was going on, but she was always dead serious and cold with him, blaming him for his niece and nephew getting bad ideas in their head or words out of their mouths. 

__

In my dearest memories, 

I see you reaching out to me. 

Though you're gone, I still believe that you can call out my name. 

A voice from the past, joining yours and mine. 

Adding up the layers of harmony. 

And so it goes, on and on. 

Melodies of life,

To the sky beyond the flying birds - forever and beyond.

"Poor Merlock is always caught in the middle of something unpleasant. I am in charge but if Miss Gray does not tell them, they won't know. I can't contact Merlock directly by the vid-screen unless he's in the room and Jillian makes sure to 'protect' him from bad influences, even if it's hurting him. Still, he was never this bad. He rarely smiles now, and never leaves his home except at night to wander around. Hmm, the boy can only take so much. I've tried waiting for this to go away for too long, time to do this the old fashion way….give that lonely boy a happy surprise for tomorrow. If no one interferes….he will be the Merlock he was 2 years ago, not this agonized and troubled young lad I see before me." the Old Timer sighed, pulled a letter out of his robes. Merlock's address was printed on it in fine golden ink, sealed with a special letter inside.

"I bet she misses you too, lad. You've both grown up so much….I can't stand to see such nice people suffer for one petty rivalry. I can't anymore. I'll mail this right away….I just hope it helps." The Old Timer proclaimed, switching off his screen and making his floating pig take him out of the room.

**_~Japan~_**

"NOOOOOOOO!!!! I…..OH….that dream again. Why does it haunt me so?" Merlock yelped, shooting up from his troubled sleep, clutching his bare chest gently as he tried to regain his composure. He hated this dream, no, this nightmare. It had been going on for months now, always the same terrible scene. He would be dreaming of a small village, not of his beloved Sara as he was accustomed to, that was bathed in moonlight. All was quiet until villagers walked through him, as if he were a ghost, dragging a screaming young woman with purple hair and cobalt blue eyes to a large wooden stake.

She had fangs in her mouth, as small as his were, but she was begging for mercy, crying madly and trying to get free. Then they tied her to the massive wooden stake surrounded by tons of firewood, splashing holy water, cloves of garlic, and rose petals on her body, to "ward out the evil in her," as the aged priest watching over it all had said. Merlock's eyes went wide when they set the wooden pile ablaze, the woman screaming for help, saying she had done nothing wrong. Then suddenly, she was quiet, looking at Merlock.

He had thought that was what she was doing until he noticed a small boy that looked hauntingly like himself, but far younger and shorter, hiding by some water barrels. His little red eyes were full of tears, whispering something no normal person could hear, but Merlock wasn't normal. He heard the word as plain as day, shattering in his ears like fine glass across his mind. "Mama…." Was what the child cried, then he moved forward. Suddenly, the town was drowned utter chaos, people dying all around him, but not the boy. The small boy had vanished from Merlock's sights.

He watched the horrible and wailing cloud of darkness move through town like a bat out of hell, making people catch fire, melt, be infested with carnivorous insects, and bleed from every pore. Some people's heads were torn off, other's were picked apart as if they were plump chickens, and still others were sucked into the darkness and simply vanished in a fitful of bloodcurdling screams. Merlock tried to shut it out, but the screams kept coming, battering him down to the ground with their pain.

As the suffering seemed to engulf his very soul, he heard the woman call out to him, pleadingly. "Run! Never come back, just run….you cannot meet him now. Not now, not ever! Run Merlock, run for your life and never look back! PLEASE RUN!" she screamed, making him open his eyes and look up at her, seeing her engulfed in flame, her once pale peach skin flaking off in blackish red embers and sooty petals. 

Merlock screamed as she blew apart, the flames coming at him and swirling around him like molten ghosts. He felt his skin heat up, then the pain of being burned alive took him over.

**_You can't escape what you are, you can't escape the past. The past will find you_**….**_you'll never escape it's loving darkness_**….**_Never_!**

That was the last thing he heard before his own body started to fall apart, piece by charred and bloodied piece, then he'd wake up drenched in sweat, his nightshirt and boxers sticking to his body as if he'd slept in a lake. The chill that washed over him was terrible reminder of how he felt inside, how much this dream scared him, how much it was driving him crazy.

His eyes traveled to his nightstand, where his pendant was laid out. He hadn't known that he owned one until he went milling through some boxes in his attic a few months back, a small journal popping out of one of them. Upon touching it, he found it was covered with dust, dated back to when he was very little. When he opened it up, a small homemade pendant came out, something covered with paper machete and painted macaroni. He smiled at it, wondering why he didn't recall ever making it, then found a part of the back was broken off. Upon closer examination, he found a piece of paper sticking out of it. It was a note, in his own child handwriting, but it made no real sense to him. It said:

__

Mama's pendant….

__

Key…._family_….

__

Hide from J.G.

Make forget…..

After that, the note was torn up a little, but still it made little sense. He had to bet J.G. was Jillian Gray, but why would he want to hide a silly kindergarten project from her. He pocketed the note then looked at the cracked part it had been in, finding there was a shiny black substance inside. After a few good cracks at it with his wand and the floorboards, the white stuff and painted pasta fell away to reveal a beautiful sapphire pendant that old had onyx and a ruby. The sapphire jewel in the center was in the shape of an eye, a rather catlike eye, but the actual pupil part was made of pure ruby, just like his own eyes looked. Everything else around it was pure onyx, black and smooth, not a blemish to it aside from what little paper machete he had yet to clean off.

__

So far and away, see the birds as it flies by. 

Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky. 

I've laid my memories and dreams upon those wings.

Leave them now and see what tomorrow brings. 

In your dearest memories, do you remember loving me? 

Was it fate that brought us close and now leaves me behind? 

The moment he put it on, he felt funny. His mouth had been aching a little previous to the day's events ever since he turned nineteen, but it started to really act up at that moment. Just as suddenly as it had happened, he felt fine and didn't give the pendant a second thought. He had thought about it later on that day, wanting to give it to Sara for her sweet sixteen back then. 

Then the nightmares began, and wouldn't stop. Every night brought the terrible visions into his slumber, keeping his visions of his lovely Sara away. He no longer wanted to give her the pendant and simply sent flowers and painting of a prince and princess dancing he found in a gallery for her birthday, not willing to tainted her mind with nightmares with such a rotten piece of jewelry. Still, even when he'd stopped wearing it, the nightmare persisted, testing his sanity and patience all at once. 

It hurt enough that he couldn't see Sara unless Time and Space was at stake, but now his dreams were being robbed of her beauty. Merlock grumbled in frustration, grabbing the pendant up angrily and putting it on. "Nasty thing….you have cursed my mind to be so deprived of my love Sara, which I cannot forgive. Though, these dreams seem to involve me…the past I can't remember, but that dream….Can that be what I blocked out as a child? It seems too horrific, how can it be? What happened in that place that condemned it to death….and that woman to death?" he said aloud, getting swiftly out of his bed to get some clothes on.

After getting dressed in his normal attire, he walked to his door, reaching for the doorknob curtly. He stopped short when he felt something tap up against his shoe. Merlock looked down and saw it was a letter, his address on it in gold ink. He felt he had to consider it's sender by opening the door, but there was no one outside, just the cool December air and snow all around. There weren't even any footprints on his doorstep or even a trail leading away.

"Now I'm getting letters from ghosts. What's next, getting mugged by them? Peh….let's see what this letter is before I go outside." He sighed, giving his silken lavender hair a gently caress. He opened it carefully and looked at its contents. It was a small sticky note attached to a schedule, one marked for tomorrow night saying 

"Gymnastics Meet? Huh?" He shrugged at that, but as his eyes took in what the sticky note said, his face lit up, so much the warmth he was feeling could melt all the snow around his home. 

"**_Dear Merlock,_**

__

You deserve to get a chance at romance. You tried so hard for so long and I see that you'll never give up. Sara is having her Gymnastics Meet tomorrow. She has them every Friday, so feel free to go whenever you want, what Jillian doesn't know won't hurt us. Be brave, lad, and be with Sara. She could use the support, especially from you. Sleep well. 

**__**

Sincerely, 

A Friend." He read aloud, his voice growing happier with every word, the smile on his face nearly splitting his blue face in two. He quickly slammed the door shut and leaned against it with a content sigh, his fangs almost shimmering like pearls in his mouth as his smile kept getting bigger.

"I can see Sara! I CAN SEE SARA! Oh, I'm so happy, I can't believe it. I can see my darling, beautiful angel again! Oh yes!" he cried out, tears of joy streaming down his cheeks like liquid diamond, shimming beautifully against his skin. 

"Pretty, beloved Sara….I will be there, my darling. You will always be number one in my heart, angel. Always and forever. Merlock Holmes swears it even more passionately than before. I will do anything and everything to make you happy and safe," he stated, lifting his hand up dramatically to the air," Ah, but only you will see me, I will not get you in trouble, my darling one. Trust in my love for you. I need you so much. Oh Sara, *sigh*, tomorrow….oh tomorrow, what wonders it will bring." He proclaimed, barely noticing that his pendant was glowing a gentle blackness, the ruby pupil shining briefly.

**_~ Newton High School ~_**

- Night of the Gymnastics Meet -

"Come on Goodman, show them what you've got." The coach told the fuchsia haired girl. Sara nodded, her cerulean eyes blinking once before she turned for the mat. It was the final round, and it was riding on her, again. Her teammates were too busy snickering at her and acting cool to give her any pointers, or even any support. Their coach was a replacement for the lost Miss Iknow. That woman had transferred to this school, as had the principal and English teacher, but then they all vanished. She'd never liked any of them, but she was worried in a way about their safety.

'No you're not, you're worried about how they'll laugh their asses off at you when you screw this up….' She thought, her hair in a tight ponytail, the leotard she wore matching her hair color perfectly. Her hair swiveled a bit as she looked at the crowd. Uncle Bernie and Tony weren't around, or Flint. 

Uncle Bernie was lucky he wasn't here because had been given a long tedious inventory job, as he called it. That was cleaning up the house again for one of Jillian's surprise inspections that never seemed to happen. She didn't like the way Jillian treated her uncle, always getting his hopes up that she would come, then she never came, saying a day later she had more important matters to look into. 'Liar….she just did it to make him stop fawning over her.' She thought harshly. She was angry at Jillian, but not just for how she treated her uncle, but for how she had treated Merlock for saving hers and Flint's lives. 

Uncle Bernie and Flint were at the airport, picking Tony up from a long several months of his soccer tour, which had earned his team the second championship in a row. He had started up soccer more heavily after he was dubbed unfit to be a Time Detective. Merlock sometimes watched him and Sara practice, well, Merlock had mostly been watching her.

She missed Merlock a lot lately. It wasn't as if other boys hadn't been asking her out on dates, there were plenty to choose from, but she didn't want them. She wanted Merlock, sweet, honest, and kind Merlock. He didn't expect things like other boys did, like one date and get in my bed sort of expectations. Merlock had told her how he would do anything for her. He was her knight, like in a fairy tale. It had all been so sweet to hear, then they had been banned from being around each other, by Jillian.

She was still sore about, even after two years. She missed him and hoped he was well. Tony had never had a kind word for Merlock, and still didn't. It wasn't as if Tony would be around for her interests, he was on your with his soccer team, the champion Rockets. Tony was still miffed she was Time Detective and he wasn't, but being adored by countless girls and fans for being the captain of a worldly renowned soccer team seemed to heal his bruised ego. Tony still wrote when he was away, sending everyone gifts with the promotion money he got from the coach. He obviously loved to write to them, one of their few closets was filled to the brim with postcards.

Tony was very happy, very popular, and very far away, her little brother. Tony would probably get back from the tours tonight, which was well and over. He'd be bored until next season, but he'd have enough spending money to forget to moan and groan about it.

Sara had always been smart, and becoming a Time Detective hadn't been her dream, but it was so fascinating. She got to learn about the past first hand and experience so many things her boring life never gave her. Gymnastics was a way to become more agile, faster in the pursuit of fighting time crime, what little remained of it. Petra was gone, dropped off the face of Time and Space. Sara had been particularly bored in giving little kids tours of time and making sure no one stole anything during them. It was dull, and pale compared to two years ago, when being a Time Detective meant something more than trained tour guide. 

She brushed the thoughts off as her eyes moved across the bleachers full of proud parents and siblings and friends, none of her own. Her parents were gone, and her friends had all gone to different schools and countries over the years. She really didn't have much of anybody but her family. Her cerulean eyes moved to the end, and stopped. There was a young man hiding behind the bleachers, wearing a long brown trenchcoat with a big hood that his everything but his mouth and left eye, which was closed. She knew who it was after a few moments of staring, the blue skin and the shock of lavender hair peaking like delicate rose petal from beneath the ugly hood.

'Merlock….he's here? He's really here?!' she thought happily. At that moment, Merlock opened his eye, the garnet orb of pure blood looking calm at first, then startled. He blushed faintly, as if he'd gotten in trouble, that boyish expression melting her heart.

She smiled back and waved slightly. His blush deepened, a little fang poking out as he returned the smile. He had grown even more handsome than she remembered. He was a little taller, his hair was a little longer. She could tell, the sides were pulled tight to his head, like he had a ponytail in the back. He was still slender, but it was a good build for him.

"Goodman! The judges are waiting! Don't trip on your bunny slippers." One of the girls on her team teased. Marina was her name, the most stuck up girl on the team, the ringleader of the shame squad. She'd made Sara high school life a living hell when Marina's boyfriend said Sara was pretty, right in front of Marina. Sara had no designs on that guy, but Marina was a vengeful redhead, her eyes as green as jealousy itself. Marina went out of her way to humiliate and tease Sara every hour of every day, but not this time.

'Hmmph, not today, you won't get to me today.' She thought, and started her moves gracefully. She started off with a good sprint and then did a triple somersault and ended with a split before sweeping her legs out from under her self to stand on her hands. One move with her palms and she launched herself into the air a bit, managing a perfect twist and landing her feet in her final pose. She turned about gracefully, as was custom to in gymnastics, turning in all four directions there were people in view and last to the judges, her hands up in the air, raised like an angel's wings. 

The whole gymnasium erupted with clapping, even a few of Marina's girls, all but Marina. He judges gave her a perfect score and she smiles, then bowed to them respectively. The other girls came over to her and congratulated her as the judges got up from their seats. She had won a match for the team, the first in a long time. She hadn't felt this good since she started out, all the matches she'd won in the past until Marina made it her sovereign duty to get on her case, making her feel awkward.

She looked to the source of her happiness, then frowned. Merlock was gone. She disentangled herself from her teammates to go where he'd been standing, but there was nothing. She sighed, maybe she had hallucinated about him, to feel better. Thinking about him always helped lift her spirits in some way, but he seemed so real.

She turned, ready to go back to her teammates when she saw something dangling from one of the metal bolts on the bleachers' side. It was a note, held up by a red ribbon with a rose tied in its center. She picked it off the bolt and opened the letter. It was a short note, smelling of perfumed roses. The note was short and simple, in Merlock's artistic and smooth handwriting:

**__**

Dear Sara,

Meet me in the Tokyo Park near the roses.

_M.H._

She put the letter back in when she heard people approaching, taking the rose in her delicate hand. "What's that Sara? Secret admirer?" one girl said. Marina was still on the mat, staring at them all with hate in her eyes. "I suppose so….Uh, let's go see what the coach has to say about the next meet." She said quickly, and the girls nodded, all smiling, pulling her back towards Marina and the beaming coach.

**_~ Tokyo Park ~_**

Sara stood, shivering a bit in the cool air, only her jacket and sweats to keep her warm. Her shirts had been stuffed in the toilet as she got into the locket room, only one girl staying behind. It wasn't Marina, but the girl had such a sorry look on her face. Her jacket had been saved by the girl, who had stopped Marina from dunking it with the rest of her clothes. All that was left was a bra, her sweats, and a pair of dirty socks. She knew she wouldn't smell very good when Merlock came, but she'd explain. The girl lent her a pink tank top of her that she wasn't in need of and apologized. It had been a little something. Some of the girls weren't scared of Marina, but not enough.

She'd get back at Marina later, but right now, she didn't care. Merlock, after two years of not saying a word to her, was back. She knew she'd been banned from being near him after she and Flint fouled Petra's arrest up, as Jillian coldly stated.

Sara stiffened when she heard a rustling ahead of her, right near a tree a patch of lovely roses laid near. Merlock had come here often, as he'd confessed once to her. He said he had no idea why he loved roses so much, but the smell always made him happy. She'd thought it was rather pleasant as well, but the look on his face whenever he smelled them seemed to be that of a memory he was trying to find. Merlock only spoke of his clan that Jillian said she'd traced for him when he was young, that she'd found him wandering around begging when he was six or so. He'd never met them, but Jillian had assured him they were around. 

He couldn't remember much past six years of age, he got terrible headaches whenever he was asked about it or tried thinking about it. He assumed he'd suffered trauma in his toddler days, and it blocked out by fear. Right now, Sara was half-afraid it wasn't Merlock rustling behind the tree, her only fear being that she'd imagined it all and had been led into a trap by Marina.

"Sara dearest?" a breathtakingly familiar voice uttered, not as much confidence in it as she was used to. His head peer out from behind the tree, the hood down. His hair had grown, kept in a neat, short ponytail, his bangs just as beautiful on his boyishly angelic face. He was wearing his usual attire under his now opened trenchcoat, his ruby eyes regarding her with a hint of fear.

__

A voice from the past, joining yours and mine. 

Adding up the layers of harmony. 

And so it goes, on and on. 

Melodies of life, 

To the sky beyond the flying bird - forever and on. 

"Yes, Merlock." She answered. He smiled a little and came out from behind the tree, approaching as if she were an animal that would dart away from him at any second. She stayed still, the rose he had left her held carefully between her fingers, the pad of her thumb and pointer finger pressed lightly again the smooth thorns. 

He stopped a few inches away from her, looking her up and down. He was smiling a little, his nose twitching a bit. "Sorry." She blurted suddenly, and he looked at her oddly.

"For what? For coming here?" he asked, a little fearful.

"No, that I smell bad. A girl from my team….gave my clothes toilet water treatments. I had to wear dirty clothes, it was all she didn't try and douse." She said, shivering in a shrug. To her surprise, he smiled and took off his trenchcoat and wrapped it about her, pulling her close. "I know I'm not very warm as a normal human, but I would sooner die than see you suffer another inferior female's wrath." He said lightly.

"Then why did you wrinkle you nose?" she asked.

"I was trying to keep from crying. I have missed you so much, dearest. There hasn't been a moment I haven't thought of you, darling. These two years have been torture to my very soul, Sara." He said, stifling a sob. 

She smiled at him, nestling her cheek to his and putting her free arm about his waist. "I've missed you too Merlock. How did you know where I'd be?"

"I got a little message from someone….telling me when you were having gymnastic meets. I think we have a guardian angel, my angel. I had to take a chance to see you, I've been going mad with grief of not seeing your perfection. Time has been most kind to you. You're even more stunning than I remember."

"Speak for yourself," she giggled, blushing as she felt his hand on her hip, stroking the hip bone softly," You've grown up too. You let your hair grow a little."

"Oh, I'll never be as wonderful looking as you, my dearest ruby angel. I merely forgot to cut my hair….I had been thinking of seeing you too much to remember. I have waited so long to hold you again. I'm so sorry I couldn't see you sooner. Can you ever forgive my shortcomings?" he begged, pressing his head against the crook of her neck. His hair was so silky, it felt nice against her skin, his smell like that of his letters, a wild blue, rose. If it existed, it'd be a rare a thing as Merlock was.

"Oh, you don't have to be like this. I know it wasn't either of our faults. Jillian's just overprotective of your standings as a Time Detective. She did raise you after all, I hear most mothers act like that when their children start to grow up….wish I knew about that…." She said, he mood dropping.

Merlock sensed that and stood up straight, holding her securely in his arms. His garnet eyes stared at her lovingly, a small smile on his beautiful face. "I am sorry your parents could not see you as you are today, or see you grow up into such a beautiful lady. I would have been honored to meet the bearers of such a goddess as you, Sara. I wish no pain on you, only happiness. I want to give you so much of that….I truly do. So much…." He told her, pulling her closer. She moved with him, her eyes fluttering shut as she lean up and took his pale lips in a kiss. He was startled a moment, then his lips softened, his warm tongue pressing against her lips. She opened her mouth and let him in, pushing her own slim tongue into his. The lengths twisted gently and tasted each other, Merlock holding her tightly, rubbing her back lovingly.

She'd waited so long to kiss him again. She'd only gotten the one sweet first kiss from him, only one. Now they would make up for the two years of lost embraces and touching, they would, in secret if need be. 

Her hand clenched as he deepened the kiss, and she screamed in his mouth as pain erupted in her hand. Merlock pulled back, afraid he'd hurt her, but she shook her head. Looking to her hand that held the rose, Her fingers were bleeding, thorns stuck in them. Merlock quickly came to her aid and carefully pulled the dislodged thorns out and kissed her fingers. He stayed there a moment, as if frozen in place, she looked down at him and saw the blood was on his lips, and he was staring at the freely bleeding wounds hungrily.

"Merlock….?" She asked. His trance broke, his eyes widening as he stood, turning a bit to lick the blood off his lips. "Sorry….I felt funny for a moment. Maybe the sight of blood isn't for me. Sorry….uh here." He said, shaking his blood stained finger off on his cape before tearing a shred of it off and pressing it against her fingers. He did this for several minutes, until the blood began to clot. He stuffed the torn piece in his pocket and bowed to her politely. "Best I get you home, my love. If it would be all right…can we maybe….uh…that is to say uh….." he stammered, blushing furiously.

'He can spout beautiful things to me endlessly, but whenever I go to him or he tries to ask me something, he gets all shy. He so cute that way." She thought smiling at him.

"Merlock Holmes, are you trying to ask me out on a date?" she asked sweetly. Merlock blushed, then nodded. "Yes, pretty Sara, will you go out on a date with me?"

She smiled at him and tackled him in a big warm hug, kissing his cheek hard. "Of course, you silly vampire. I've been waiting two years to hear you say that!" she chirped. He embraced her back, kissing her neck gently, his smooth fangs just barely brushing against her soft flesh.

She held him tightly, kissing his head very gently. "Next Wednesday, at six in the evening good for you?" he asked.

"Sure, I can say we have a special practice going on that night. Anything to finally get on with our lives, no Jillian in the way." She sighed.

"And no Bindi either. Just us, my darling. I promise, nothing but us. I'll meet you here then….and then I'll treat like the princess you are, darling." He cooed, kissing her warmly on the mouth. Sara forgot to think then, the sweet smell of roses taking them into the bliss of twilight.

**_~ Wednesday ~_**

- Midnight -

"That was a wonderful date, Merlock. I've never seen such a fancy place in my life."

"Neither have I….but I found it on my computer. The Internet is so helpful in finding nice places to go. But I felt a little out of place there….maybe next time we'll go to a movie, if that's all right with you, angel." He said, holding her in his arms as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop as fast as he could. Sara had told Dr. Goodman she'd be back by ten at best, but that was two hours ago. The restaurant he'd taken her too wasn't very expensive, but the service was slow. There had been a nice band there playing, candlelight, an even a dance floor, which she and Merlock had gone onto for almost every slow song that was played, while waiting for their order.

Sara had told him that she'd locked her door out of habit, so Flint and Tony would stay out of her business. She'd started doing that when she caught Tony with Flint on his shoulders trying to reach for her diary on her tall bureau. It was necessary for her privacy to be maintained. Her window was left open to keep her room aired, and it was also so she could be planet back in her room, fooling her uncle into thinking she'd gotten back and he hadn't noticed.

It had been hard to get out of the house for her, Jillian had come on a surprise visit, the house in total disarray, just what that cold woman wanted to chew her uncle out. Bindi had come with her, to be transferred into Dr. Goodman's care, and since she was not getting along with any of the Time Shifters in the land of Time. Getalong was still with them, so it wasn't as if Bindi was on her own.

Sara's excuse worked, and her uncle was too infatuated with Miss Jillian to challenge her. Tony and Flint were watching an action flick with Getalong, and Bindi grudgingly was there with them.

She looked so happy in his arms, he was her prince, and he's treated her with utmost respect during dinner, and during their walk through the park, until the time of Tokyo was announced by the police, a few streets away, that the midnight hour was upon them.

He was so stupid, he'd forgotten he was supposed to bring her back at ten, and she hadn't looked at her watch either. He was really racing now, trying not to trip. If he did, he'd hurt his angel. He couldn't stand for that.

Merlock took a few more leaps until he reached the Bureau of Time and Space, landing neatly on the roof tier a few feet away from Sara's dark room. His nose twitched again, an odd smell in the air, but then again, there was a garbage bin or two near the building, one he'd fallen into a few times.

He looked at Sara lovingly, listening for any sounds of people near or in the room. He heard nothing, only the gentle breeze of the night. "Ok, coast is clear, my love. I'll be better with the time, pretty Sara, I promise, its just that finally going on date with you has been my dream since I met you. I'm still surprised I haven't woken up yet…." He said sheepishly, blushing.

Sara smiled at him, then he set her down. Then she ran at him and gave him a soul-searing kiss that nearly gave him a heart attack, if he was capable of suffering from it, then he took her in the embrace and kissed her back. 'Its not a dream….its real.' He thought happily, savoring the honeyed flavor of her innocent mouth.

He pulled back after a little while and lifted the partially open window the rest of the way, delicately taking Sara's hands and lowering her inside. He knelt upon the roof a moment, staring into her beautiful pristine cerulean eyes. "I'll see you at your next meet, my darling. Is that all right?" he asked, his gentle garnet eyes fawning over her.

She smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. "Of course. It would be a pleasure, Merlock. I can't wait to see you again. How about you walk me to library tomorrow….since the holiday's are coming up. No school for a while…." She said sweetly. He nodded with a grin. Then slowly shut her window, blowing him a kiss. He caught it deftly and put it upon his smiling mouth.

__

If I should leave this lonely world behind, 

Your voice will still remember our melody. 

Now I know we'll carry on. 

He waited until her lovely form moved for her dresser, then he started for home quickly. He had to order some flowers for her for tomorrow. He could find a place, he would. Nothing stood in Merlock's way, not even himself. He was so happy, he didn't even hear the faint shouting from the Bureau, or the shattering of glass and metal.

**_~ Bureau of Time and Space ~_**

~ Next Morning ~

Merlock kept to the rooftops as usual, he was getting better as he got older with his balance problems, but there were still moments when his train of thought would wander and down he'd go. He was sometimes thankful to be a half vampire at times, it really helped get rid of all those bruises and cuts he was used to getting.

He held a lovely bouquet of roses in one and his cane in the other, nearly to the Bureau. He landed neatly on the roof, nearly in the same spot as he did last night, but that rotting smell was still there, much more putrid. His curiosity got the best of him and he peered over the edge where the garbage bin was. 

One eye twitched a bit, there was barely any rubbish inside, maybe some leftover trash that leaks out of the bags that were once inside. The smell wasn't coming from the bin as he sniffed at it, that smell was more like mold and vomit, not rotting fruit.

The smell was nearby, but not outside. He tugged on Sara's window, and yelped as it fell inward, shattering to pieces as he touched it. "SARA!!" he shrieked and leapt inside, narrowing his keen eyes to search for her. She wasn't in her room, the rays of sunlight all over, but no sign of Sara. The room looked like a tornado hit it, and the decaying smell was practically leaking out of every pore of the room. There was another smell, one he smelled when Sara had hurt herself. 

"Blood….someone harmed my Sara!! How dare they! I'll teach them!" he growled, looking to the source. There was a spatter of blood on her pillow, not a lot to be worried about, but still, it was Sara's blood. No one had any right to harm a hair on her head, let alone make her bleed. He'd rip the attacker apart when he found him. He dropped the roses and burst out of her room, sniffing again for that rotten smell, it got stronger as he moved for the stairs, the smell almost knocking him out. "SARA! TONY!….FLINT! DR. GOODMAN!! Anyone?" he shouted, and got nothing. He heard a static sound, like a busted screen, and a dripping noise.

He moved faster down the steps, sliding across the floor of the living room. He looked down and found it was another spatter of blood, several of them. There were pieces of torn clothing, the entire room looked like it had been eaten and vomited up, torn apart as if it were nothing. Then something caught his eye, the rose he had given her, lying in a pool of blood.

__

Melodies of life, 

Come circle round and grow deep in our hearts,

As long as we remember.

He fell to his knees, not caring that he was soaking his clothing with blood. Tears threatened his garnet eyes, his teeth gritting terribly tight, his little fangs a bit more prominent as he started to scream. "SARA!!!!!" he wailed, the Bureau of Time and Space shaking with his fury.

**_To Be Continued…._**

Author's Note: So you know, Merlock didn't black out, have a vampire fit and do all this damage. Sorry this took so long, but "**Seven Angels**" had to be finished first.


	4. Ch. 3- There's No Place Like Holmes

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of "Flint: The Time Detective" **__**

Disclaimer: Ido not own anything of** "Flint: The Time Detective," **but I own Madeline and Ezekeil. 

****

Chapter 3

There's No Place Like Holmes

**_~ The Bureau of Time and Space ~_**

Merlock wept openly, his sense on fire from the smell of blood. He ignored to grieve over the worst. "Sara….my beloved angel, you can't be gone….Sara." he wept.

"Merlock?" His head lifted, it was a female voice, but high-pitched, coming from Dr. Goodman's workstation. He stood, walking cautiously with his cane extended towards it, seeing one of the drawers shake. He took a breath and yanked it open, entirely too hard. The drawer went flying into the door, dumping everything out of it in a fine messy line. 

He followed it all the way to the door, seeing the source of the voice upside-down and bruised. "Getalong? You escaped?!" he gasped, rushing over to the moaning little eggplant shaped shifter of love.

Getalong rolled over, moaning again in her little high-pitched voice. She'd gotten plenty of punishment ever since she was released from her fossilized state with Flint, from being blow into the sky and getting deadly rose stem shoved into her loving little heart. Right now it looked like she'd been tossed in a blender and left to her won designed, her small body littered with bruises and cuts. 

She was alive at least, none of the wounds fatal at least. He picked her up and gave her a shake. "Getalong, what happened here? Where's Sara?" he asked, worry crossing his features.

"Monster came….horrible monsters that drooled and were rotting all over the place, and large fuzzy ones, werewolves I think. Just all kinds of terrible creatures appeared in here in the Catamaran. We thought it was Petra Fina returning, so the doctor and Miss Jillian went to investigate the arrival….then the screaming started. Tony….shoved me on one of the drawers and I guess went to warn Sara, but….then everyone was screaming."

Merlock's face contorted with pain. "When did this happen?" he asked.

Getalong looked at him, her eyes welling up madly with tears. "A little before midnight, I can't quite recall, but….the things stayed when they couldn't find Sara. Merlock, Bindi was here with Jillian too, and she….did something horrible when Sara came home."

Merlock tensed. "What?"

Getalong looked at the stairs, remembering painful what Bindi had done. "She told them where her room was if they'd agree to let her go. They agreed, but they lied. She led them right to her room and found the key to it for them, she just let them in. I heard Sara screaming several minutes later….then Bindi was laughing of how she'd have you all to herself….then she screamed. I stayed hidden even after I heard them left….I think….those things took them someplace in time."

Merlock growled, nearly squeezing the life out of Getalong in the process. Her squeak of pain was all that prevented him from squishing her innards out her mouth. "How dare she do that to my beloved angel!? She gave her to enemy forces over…JEALOUSY!!!!????" he roared, dropping Getalong to pound at the door. After a few strikes, the doors shattered, Merlock's fangs more prominent than ever. "I'll never forgive her for this….never. Bindi was always my partner, not my love. Sara's the one I love and I will move heaven, earth, and space and time to save her. I…..I," he stammered, looking about the torn room," I have to look for clues, come on Getalong, we're their only chance at survival."

Getalong nodded, and floated a few feet off the ground, wincing a little and floated into the time chamber. Merlock went up to Sara's room. He searched about, lifted her mattress, trying to ignore the tempting smell of his angel's blood. 'What's wrong with me? I don't drink blood, I've never had a need to….ignore it….just ignore it, its nothing.' He thought, looking under the bed, then through the clothes strewn all over the floor.

He was about to leave the room when he stepped in the spatter of Sara's blood. He stared at it, the smell stinging at the back of his mind. His eyes took it in, barely noticing his fangs growing again. He felt the pain in his mouth again, that thirst, and grabbed at it, pressing his hand as hard as he could to his lips. He felt the fangs recede. "I don't need to go crazy now, not when her life may be in danger. Focus dammit!" he scolded himself, still holding his mouth as he went for Tony's practically obliterated room.

"Merlock! I found something!" Getalong's weak, yet chirpy voice called. He nearly tripped over his own fit it was so sudden, spinning on his heels to reach her downstairs.

He found her near where the blue Time Cycle was stored before a mission, a parcel sticking out the storage compartment. A nose with a garnet symbol upon it was tied to the large parcel, with Merlock's name on the front. 

He looked at Getalong strangely, then back at the parcel. "Did they want to capture me too? Who is behind this?" he breathed, untying the note carefully before pulling it towards himself. He pulled off the garnet shaped seal of wax, giving it to Getalong for a moment. He opened it slowly, pulling out the fine parchment note from within. The handwriting was very fancy, but thank fully he had been taught every language in the book, if ever if universal translator badge failed him. That, and this seemed strangely familiar. He read aloud:

**__**

Dear Merlock,

If you are reading this, phase one of my plan to bring you home has come to fruition. If you ever want to see them alive again, especially the young beauty I hear you fancy, the girl Sara, best you come to my castle and fight your way to the top for their lives. I must warn you, the moment you enter, you can never leave unless they are either dead, or you have rescued them. Either way, I'll regain you, child. Come to Viso Romania, the year 1553. Not only do their lives hang in the balance in my hands, but also your precious tapestry of time. Best you hurry. Along with this note, you should find clothes for the time, for your attire might gain you the fate of your mother. Keep them on while in the village, or you may follow her fate, the time is downright murderous. Can't have you dying so soon, now can we. I know you'll come, I know. Until at last we meet face to face, child. Farewell for now.

A Friend

Merlock read it again, turning it over, trying to catch a scent or something of who wrote it, but all he could detect was that the ink was old and the paper was new, even for the time mentioned on the parchment.

"Petra wouldn't go to this much trouble to get at me….and how would she know about….my nightmares. Was that woman really my mother?" he wondered aloud, rubbing his chin.

"Merlock?" Getalong asked, breaking his thoughts. He looked at her, folding the note up and giving it to her. "Nothing, just bad dreams….," he told her, grabbing up the parcel and opening it. It was dark blue outfit, much like what he wore, but the leggings were dark boots instead, the jacket was longer in the back, and the collar fancier. The sleeves were longer too, small white gloves set atop the entire bundle.

There was also a dark blue, almost navy blue colored, hooded cloak with a mouth guard. "The letter did say downright murderous. They weren't kidding." He said to himself, then looked at Getalong," Uh….let me change in here, wait by the door, please."

She giggled at him, making his cheeks stain pink. "Ok, Mr. Modest. I'd need a picture of your face the second Sara sees more of your body…giggle." She tittered, floating out quickly. His face went bright red, gasping at her statement.

'I can wait for that when I marry her. My luck I get the Shifter of Love, but Getalong is tough little lady. She'll be ok….she can get the ones I get free first out of this kook's castle so I can search for the rest without wasting time.' he thought, shrugging out of his shirt, then his small blue jacket. He didn't feel cold, that hadn't happened in years. He felt awkward, taking his clothes off in Sara's house, even if she wasn't around.

He took off his body suit, then his shoes and legging, feeling his body go red. He had a funny thought in his head, which he'd prefer to his beloved being kidnapped, that everyone else was hiding in the house, and would walk in on him in his boxers. They'd all have a good laugh and everyone would be fine.

But that was a parody of a fairy tale, there was blood all over the house for pity's sake. He started to pull on the new clothing, surprised how it fit him so well. It was blue at least, dark, but blue. He liked that color, it was so….him.

After he got everything on, he called for Getalong, pulling his cloak on. Getalong floated it, then her eyes bugged out of her head and she fell on her rump. He eyed her quizzically. "What?" he said, then looked down at himself," This thing doesn't have a zipper, my fly can't be open."

Getalong shook her head, floating up to him smiling. "No, it's just that you look so handsome, like dark prince. Your other kids make you look so boyish but this….heck, you look about ready to ride in on a horse and save a princess." She said happily.

Her blushed a little and nodded. "Well, Sara is my princess, so it's appropriate. I will storm this 'friend's castle and save my beloved angel of light. Now….let us take leave of this place…before the cops come and think we did this." He smirked, setting the coordinates.

Getalong nodded and perched on his shoulder. He sat down on the cycle, sorely missing his Time Scooter, but he needed Jillian's approval for even touching it. It was the rules, and Jillian was among the hostages, so this would have to do. He'd explain himself later, his friends were in danger. "Hide in my cloak when we arrive….we'll, have to borrow a cart or something there to hide the cycle. They might burn us just for seeing you two." He told her, and felt her squish her body to nod.

"Ok then….time travel circuits on." He said, flipping a few switches and striking a few buttons," 1553, I'm coming for you." 

The Time Cycle's eyes glowed gold a moment, then lifted off its platform, shooting into the tunnel of time in the blink of an eye.

**_~ Viso, Romania ~_**

- 1553 -

Merlock found an abandoned cart in the forest they arrive in, his head hurting at the sight of it. He could smell blood, and the decay of bodies just decaying. The horses were fine, all be it looking a bit hungry. He just stuffed the cycle under mounts of hay, taking out enough for the horses to munch on. It was nighttime, but nothing bothered him or Getalong. He heard a scream or howling every so often, but not close enough to worry. He felt poorly for not aiding those. in trouble, but he was limited. He didn't know if his host would grow bored and start slaughtering his friends suddenly.

Merlock shook the terrible thoughts, waiting for the horses to regain their strength for a few more minutes before getting on the cart himself. Getalong tucked herself into his cloak, holding onto his back, well out of view.

He snapped the reigns, the horses responding instantly, walking at an even pace. The forest seemed to last forever, that sick feeling returning to his mind. It looked so familiar to him, like he'd been here before. They moved on slowly, a few owls hooting within the lush, dark emerald covered trees. It was lovely pine forest, but the smell was not of the trees, but of death. The forest smelled stale and rotting, as if the trees were stuffed to the brim with the dead. 

He spurred the horses on, wanting to get out as fast as possible, when he turned a bit, and saw a small grove a ways off. For a moment, he saw Jillian sleeping there, a faded, ghostly image of her when she was younger, before she grew as cold as ice to everyone but him. He shook his head and the image was gone. 'Have I been here after all?" he wondered, staring at the spot even long after they had passed it by.

**_~ The Town of Viso ~_**

- Morning -

Merlock had arrived here in the night, so he went on towards the castle and left the cart at the giant and dark place. He had looked at it until the sun came up, his garnet eyes looking for signs of his friends. He saw nothing, except a flash of white in on of the upper towers, probably a candle going out. Then he walked away from it, to get some information on the castle before going in there. Getalong had said there were zombies, werewolves and monsters that had kidnapped everyone. There could be more horrible monsters within, he had to be sure, and maybe find out who lived in there.

It took the village at least till seven in the morning to all come out, all wearing silver or wooden crosses about their necks, strings of garlic and barrels of rose petals lining the streets. Merlock watched them, and no one gave him even a glance, as if he wasn't even there. 

He ignored this and explored the town on his own. He had time enough to search this place. It seemed oddly familiar to him as he walked about, things catching his eyes that mad him feel small pangs of sadness, then happiness. The town wasn't large, but not diminutive. It was like basic town, market place, houses spreading out like spider web from that point, a mayor's mansion, jailhouse, a slaughterhouse, breeding stalls for horses and other livestock. 

He saw no whorehouses or anything unsanitary for the mind, but he doubted that would expose itself during the damn day. Still, even at night, he expected one to be around, or at best an open bar like most towns during this dark time, making some kind of noise. The town had been dead quiet the moment he arrived. 

Merlock bumped into a young woman, maybe Sara's age, but she kept on going, like she'd never touched him. He watched her go, scowling. "Murderous I have yet to see, but damn, these people are rude." He muttered, feeling Getalong pinch his spine," Ok, I'm going….stop that."

Merlock looked all over, no one talking to him, even if he'd ask them. They just passed by like he was some salesman with a crappy product, not even glancing at him. He was getting frustrated now, willing to start a fight to get the information he wanted. He was about to jump on passing old man leading mule through the streets when saw a house, far different from the others. 

This house was made of the same material, but it was worn out, falling apart and covered in soot and dirt. The other houses were standing tall and clean as they could manage, but this looked like it'd been abandoned in a hurry. No windows were boarded up, but some of the glass was broken and the door was slightly ajar. He looked about, see if anyone would go near it as he did.

He noticed a few people stopped in their tracks, looking at him as if for the first time, but made no move to stop him. As he reached the door, he looked back, his hidden red eyes regarding them curiously. They just stared back, fear permeating their own eyes. He touched the door, and swore he heard a few people gasp. Merlock went inside, shutting the door carefully behind him. It was dark in here, even with the little bit of sunlight getting through the broken areas of dirty glass. He felt lucky to be half-vampire, it let him see in the dark a little better than most.

The place smelled of dust and stale bread, so much he had to stifle a few sneezes as he moved through the place. It was quaint little cottage, all be it filthy and messy as Tony's room was on a daily basis. A chair was overturned, one of the legs hacked off the table in the cobweb encrusted kitchen. He blinked a moment, his heart feeling sick. He saw that woman from his dreams, her purple hair swishing about her fine dress. She was cooking something, looking so beautiful, then turned a bit. She looked radiantly at him with a smile that could have stopped a heart dead, then faded away, like the haunting image she was. 

He shook his head, the memories leaking out of his mind making him see things. He blamed the therapy. He still didn't understand why the past had been hidden from him for so long. He could have taken it, why didn't Jillian trust him with the truth, whatever the truth was. It was making him feel sick all over, but he gathered it would pass. 

He moved past it and nearly fell as his foot hit empty air. He pulled back, Getalong peeking out to see what was going on. "Did you step on a loose floorboard, Merlock?" she asked. He shook his head and peered at the open expanse just before him.

It wasn't hole he'd just made, it was a floorboard that had been removed years ago, a small handprint revealed in the dust. He saw a small blanket nestled within the crawlspace the board probably had hidden then, some petrified fruits and nuts sprawled out across it. His head hurt again, making him shut his eyes. As he opened them, he saw the little boy from his dreams, him as a child curled up in a ball, looking scared out of his mind.

The boy shivered, staring upwards as if he were seeing something horrible. Then blood spattered on his small cheeks, tears mixing with them as the fright grew. Then the image faded, leaving Merlock to his thoughts. "I….I saw myself….I was put in there when I was a child….my mother….she must have out me in there to protect me…." he mumbled, things coming together. The therapy was making it painful to remember, but it was coming, but not as fast as he would liked. The bits and pieces he'd seen so far told him one thing, Jillian had lied to him.

He was from the past, this past, where his mother had been burned alive for something petty, then things went dark, and somehow, he'd come across Jillian in escaping the darkness that seemed to plague his thoughts, and had been taken to the future.

Merlock thought it made sense. He was the only one of his kind he knew of, despite what Jillian said about him having a clan, but that was a lie too he gathered. He was all that as left of his clan, all alone in a time he didn't belong to, but couldn't be sent back. It hurt a little, to be lied to for most of his life, but this all made sense. Where else could a rare vampire breed come from than the past. "Why didn't you tell me, Jillian? What did you gain from hiding the truth?" he asked no one. Getalong watched him, feeling his sadness, her face showed it enough with the deep frown on her mouth.

"Its ok….no one would care if you weren't from the future. Its not a bad thing, Flints from farther back than this, its not terrible." She coaxed. He nodded, his body shaking a little. "Its not that, Getalong….it's the fact Jillian lied to me. She gave me false hope that there were others like me….she lied to a child to now….making me think….I belonged in some small way. It hurts me to know that everything she ever told me about my life….was a lie." He said quietly, looking away from the floor. He carefully walked up the stairs, a few steps breaking. He steadied himself each time, too upset to let small things bother him. 

"Yes, but that's all the more reason to go on, so we can save them and find out the rest of your past, and why Jillian kept it from you. They're counting on us, Pterri, Flint, Rocky, Jillian, Dr. Goodman, Tony, and…."

"And my beloved darling Sara. Yes, but I have to see the rest of this place….this might be the last time I come here. I want to at least see where I spent a few years of my young life….to remember something about my mother. I can't even remember the good times with her so well. All I have are….nightmares and hallucinations right now." He said softly, opening a few doors, but the rooms were stripped clean and disorderly.

He kept going, wanting to find something, a painting, a handkerchief, anything that belonged to his late mother. He found nothing the first few rooms, some for storage, another was for sewing, from the needles and fabrics strewn about the walls and broken furniture. Then he reached the last door, just before another staircase, but this area was different. It was clean and polished.

Merlock stared at the fine mahogany door a moment, touching to make sure he wasn't having another hallucination fit. It was solid, and cool to the touch, as if someone had just cleaned it. He grabbed the knob gently and turned it, pulling the door outward. He stepped in, his breath taken away, the room was spotless. There was fine bed on the corner near a dirty window, pretty much the only dirty part of the place, from the outside. The bed was neatly made with a fine, clean quilt with ancient designs of dragons and roses, pillows neatly fluffed. 

To his left, there was a finely polished bureau and sparkling silver adorned mirror. The floor had fine carpets upon it, the same designs there, a few with blue roses in the center, a drop of blood leaking from it as a pale hand held it high. It was stunning, he'd never seen such beautiful work. Merlock stepped past it, so as not to get any dirt on it and looked at the mirror. His reflection looked back at him, then mimicked his movements as he looked about the bureau. 

Perfume, jewelry of the finest caliber, make-up of the age, and a fine, golden brush, were laid out upon, all neat and tidy and in perfect order. His pendant shined back against it in the mirror, stinging his eyes. Most of the jewels were either sapphires or rubies, no other color aside from gold and silver challenged them. 

He took his pendant in his hand and looked at it, then at the jewelry. 'I wonder if this was mother's after all. Maybe that's what the note meant.' He thought, tucking it back in his shirt before searching through the drawers. He found nothing, just spotless, yet empty drawers. Then he opened the final one, to the upper most right of himself. He opened it knowing it to be futile, as if to get another rust of old air and cleaning solution, but he caught his breath when he saw a small figurine inside. It was of his mother, carved from fine marble, painted perfectly.

He stared at it, the same woman from his dreams was carved in this once boring piece of stone. It was perfect in every detail, down to the slightly wave of her purple hair, the glint of her blue eyes. His lips pursed a bit, eye lidding a little in pain from the memory of this woman encased in flames. Merlock turned it about in his hand carefully, and saw there was an inscription on the bottom," _Madeline Holmes, 1530_."

Merlock's garnet eyes widened as he read it, feeling a sinking of his heart further than it had ever gone. This woman had been his mother, and he obviously had seen her burned alive as a child. "But why can't I remember you, mother? Was I that traumatized by your death….I must have been to have these memories hidden from me by the therapist. But then, how will I know who my father is? That if I'm the last of my race for real….?" He asked the lifeless figurine. After a few moments of silence, he hung his head down low and pocketed the small stone figure, leaving the room after giving it one last glance.

~

As Merlock stepped outside a very small crowd of old men and women greeted him, all staring at him sternly, a few in shock. "What? I thought it was abandoned." he asked, looking about himself.

The tallest elder, his white beard swishing as he shook his head. "No, son, its just that that house hasn't been entered in sixteen years, not since this town was swallowed up by demonic cloud." He said surely.

Merlock tilted his head to the side, and looked back at the house. "That long? Might I ask why? And what's this about a demonic cloud?" Merlock asked quietly.

He backed into the door when one of the old women got closer, trying to look under his hood. He looked away each time she tried.

"We were all nomads at one time, gypsies in the forest until the town of Viso screamed bloody murder. We all came in and found it deserted, a pyre in the town scare, but the only bodies in town were those of the citizens, not the burn victim. We decided to stay and it was fine for a few days, then the count came out of his castle, sonny." The old woman told him, still trying to peek at his face.  
"Count….so that's who live in that dark place. What did he do when he came here?" Merlock pressed, finally putting his back to the woman.

Another old man stepped up, sighing. "Count Ezekeil came down to warn us never to touch this house ever or our fate would be that of the former people of Viso. The man was very strange looking, even for a vampire lord, but he said he'd leave us be if we left this house and him alone for eternity. If he were ever disturbed, he'd destroy whoever was involved in it. We listened, we tell you, but that crazy woman that came here a few months ago with her trolls wouldn't listen."

"Woman? Did she….have green hair?" Merlock asked.

The man nodded. "You know that vain old banshee?" the man asked.

"Yes, she's a fugitive I've been….hunting, for a while. Do you know where she went after the castle?" Merlock put in. The man snickered and shook his head. "That crazy lady and her monsters went inside the castle with that weird cat shaped cart of hers and never came back out. She wanted the family jewels, but I guess she found the count, because people have been dying lately. His monsters have been ripping up tourists and stragglers left and right ever since that woman vanished," the man said, and started to turn away," And my advice to you, son, is to forget about your bounty on her. Its not worth your immortal soul."

With that the group dispersed, all but the one old woman that had been staring intently for his face. She took his hand and put something cool in his gloved palm. "To keep the evil away, boy, get away from this place as fast as you can or the count will mark you for death as he did Viso sixteen years ago." She said gravely, then toddled off.

Merlock watched her go, blinking in shock, then he opened his palm to see she'd given him a silver cross. He scrutinized it carefully and stuffed it into his cloak for Getalong. "You wear it, you're not like me, Getalong. Don't need some pain in the neck getting you too." He told her, feeling her nod as she took it.

"Now what?" she asked quietly.

"Now….we wait for nightfall and sneak into the vampire lord's castle and save our friends. Now we know no one will aid us in getting in, might as well get in there and start this rescue. I saw an inn when we first arrived, we'll rest there till nightfall." He replied, feeling another nod, and walked away from the house evenly.

'Why did you have to die, mother? Why did he murder everyone….unless….he's my father. I'd have to meet him first, then I'll know….after I save my beloved and the others.' He thought, suddenly feeling slightly cold.

**_~ Craven Inn ~_**

- Sunset -

- Nightmare -

Merlock stood in the Town Square, wearing the clothing his host had given him this time, without the cloak. He was watching his mother be dragged to the stake amidst a large pile of wood. He still was powerless to change the memory and equally powerless to move. He watched with frightened garnet eyes, his skin paling near white as she was tied to the stake, the priests reading the rights of god to her. She struggled and wept as they splashed holy water, rose petals, and garlic cloves at her as always, lighting the woodpile on fire.

She screamed violently this time, her head bucking forward, those fearful and pained cobalt blue eyes hidden from his sights. He heard the child version of himself cry for her, weeping, and then the screaming started again. The dark cloud was coming again, murdering people left and right, blood filling Merlock's tender mind until everyone was dead around him, only the burning woman with him now.

She was weeping, and he tried to move for her. He succeeded for once, and slowly made his way to her. Before he could get to even the woodpile, the flames grew and blocked him from the weeping woman. "Mother!" he cried, his voice shattering.

"Merlock….run away, far away. Never come back….the truth may kill us all." She said, her voice different from his past dreams.

"Mother?" he asked, peering at her hard. Her head shot up so fast he lost his balance and fell over, staring at wild blue eyes, the hair now vibrant shade of fuchsia as the flame licked at her. "SARA!" he screamed, trying to get to her gain, but the flames shot up again and knocked him away as the crying face of his beloved stared back at him.

"SAVE US! IEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" she screamed, and the flames took her down, turning her body into dark, flaking ash.

**_~ End Nightmare ~_**

"SARA! NO!! Oh gods….." Merlock panted, sweat all over his body as he sat up violently from his slumber. Getalong woke up from the puffy pillow she'd chosen as a bed, her eyes worried as she quickly floated to him. "What's wrong? Merlock?" she asked.

He shook his head, beads of sweat dripping from his pale blue skin and the tips of his lavender hair. Merlock rubbed his forehead before getting out of the bed and started to dress. "We are leaving now." He said simply, hard and serious.

"But its not even…."

"WE ARE LEAVING NOW!" he shouted at her, scaring the life out of the time shifter, then her pulled on his pants and boots," I had a horrible vision….they're in danger the longer I wait. I have to go now and save them. Sara needs me….he's going to kill her, to kill them all over me."

She nodded, the cross he'd made her wear swinging a bit as she did. When he got his cloak on, she floated inside it to hide again, the amber sky filtering in the room as he pulled the curtains apart from the window. He looked outside to see where it led, a darkened alley. It was perfectly deserted, very few people on the streets as well. He took a breath and leapt out, landing neatly on the ground and took off in run for the castle.

**_~ Castle of Count Ezekeil ~_**

Merlock pushed himself harder to reach the castle, the sun still setting. As he reached it, he saw the drawbridge was down, as if daring people to try their luck in killing the count and his hordes during the day. 

The sun went on dropping beneath the horizon, Merlock still running for the drawbridge. Then he heard a clinking noise, and watched in horror as the drawbridge was slowly being lifted. "Paranoid, huh? Well, for Sara, I will not be defeated so easily….Count Ezekeil, I'm coming for you, you murdering hostage taking bastard!" he yelled, a rush of adrenaline hitting his blood and he took a leap as he was four feet away from the climbing drawbridge.

His feet touched down on the edge of the rising barricade, but he went on, running fast and right over it into the castle courtyard. He kept going till he passed through a large expanse of a doorway, jump away as a metal gate fell down behind him with a loud clang. 

He slowed down a bit after a few minutes, the loud thundering boom of the drawbridge finally closing and the night sky rising over his head. Merlock panted in the jog he could manage now, Getalong coming out of his cloak smiling at him.

"WOW! Merlock, that was amazing! You haven't been crashing into things so much anymore, you've really changed in the past two years."

Merlock looked back at her, smiling prominently. "Thanks, that means a lot to….Mphhh!" he was saying, then rammed into a statue. As he fell over on his back, stars in his eyes, Getalong just sighed. "Well, that didn't last long, but I believe in you, Merlock. Sara does too. You'll save them. Believe in the power of love and we shall triumph!" she cheered as he started to stand, a bit dizzy.

He raised his hand up groggily and managed out a dopey sounding," Here, here….Oi!" He moved on, teetering from left to right for a while, stopping at the castle doorway a moment to regain his senses. 

"I'm coming, Sara." He said quietly, shaking off the dizziness. He would come, he'd save her, no more klutz attacks, his friends' lives were at stake. He couldn't afford screwing up at all from this point on.

**_To be Continued…._**


	5. Ch. 4- Bring Out the Undead

**__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone of "**Flint: The Time Detective**," and the monsters are mostly borrowed from the way beyond cool Playstation game "**Castlevania: Symphony of the Night**." I do not own the **Goo Goo Dolls** "**Long Way Down**." I own the castle, the monsters, and the count. Sorry this took so dang long, but college interfered with my free time. Enjoy!

****

Chapter 4

Bring Out the Undead

~ Castle of Count Ezekeil ~

Merlock peered about the castle as he entered. The front door had been unlocked, no guards, nothing, just empty and stale air. It was like a tomb, no worse. The smell was suffocatingly sweetened with mold, dead flowers, and rot. He wrinkled his pale blue nose a bit, looking at the empty foyer. There were no sign of struggle, no bones of helpless victims strewn about as he'd assumed this Ezekeil to have designs towards. It was simple entrance hall, find stain glass windows, all be it a bit dusty, worn red carpeting and a few scrapes on the alabaster walls. Nothing scary, nothing unusual….nothing interesting or helpful either.

Getalong was perched on his slim shoulder, shaking a little. The quiet must have been getting to her. He was glad he didn't have to wear his hood anymore, it was obscuring his hearing and it was making him sweat all over. He gave her a pat to assure her that they'd be just fine, but she nearly jumped ten feet in the air.

"Calm down….we haven't even seen anything but bad housekeeping. I admit that's a frightful shame, but not anything to be hysterical over. I think we'll be all right." He told her quietly.

She got back on his shoulder, still shaking. "That's what they say in horror movies right before the axe killer meanie appears behind you and turns you in to steak tar-tar." She shivered. He blinked a bit, shivering himself at the terrible image, then chuckled. "You have been watching Tony's collection again, haven't you?" he teased. She huffed a bit, but said nothing.

"I thought so. Don't worry, see," he said pointing ahead," there's the door to the rest of the castle. We're almost home free." He chirped, his steps carefree.

She started to nod when creak filled their ears. Merlock stopped in place, sweating a little, he turned his head a bit, seeing nothing, then in front of him, still nothing.

__

Oh here you are, there's nothing left to say…._   
You're not supposed to be that way_…._   
Did they push you out? Did they throw you away?_

He sighed in relief shaking his head at his own silliness. "Honestly, you'd think our host could do better than that…." He uttered, moving again. The creak came again, followed by several loud cracks, the floor sinking under his feet. He looked down as it shattered beneath him, the dark abyss his last sight before he just whimpered," Why me? AHHHHHHHH!!!!"

**_~ Dungeons ~_**

Merlock groaned a bit, looking up at the hole blandly. He was sore all over from the fall, but all right. His healing factor saved his neck. Then he looked at his surroundings, the dungeons, dank, nasty smelling, and wet. Getalong was a few feet away, watching him carefully and worried. "You ok, Merlock?" she asked.

He groaned as he stood up, brushing himself off of the cobwebs and dirt he'd barreled through not of his will. "Peachy….yuck….would it kill the guy to get a housekeeper….this is disgusting. I gather it gets worse from here on in…." he muttered, his mind worrying himself sicker than the smell could make him.

"HEY! SOMEBODY OUT THERE! HEY!" a loud woman's voice yelled. Merlock's ears twitched, it was terrible sounding, terribly familiar. He ran towards it anyway, peering inside cell after bone and rot and rat filled cell. He finally reached the end of the line, a staircase in view. He smiled a bit when the sound blasted out from his left "HEY! SOMEBODY GET US THE HECK OUT'A HERE!" it screamed. He fell over from it, his senses reeling with pain. He knew who it was now, even before he sat up rubbing his poor ears.

"Petra Fina, I might have known that was your foul shriek." He muttered. The object of his ruin was right behind a heavily locked cell. Dino and Mite sitting a ways off, depressed with nothing to do but look at the bread and water before them. Merlock didn't feel sorry for them, not just for the fact their escape cost him his days with Sara, but the fact they existed only to upset the balance of time. 

"Well, if isn't the little blue Romeo loser. If I'd known it was you who got in here, I'd have screamed louder when you passed." She hissed.

"You can scream louder? Woe to the world you know how to speak, you old bag!" he said tersely. She fumed at that, watching him get up and looking ready to rip his hair out all at once. "But anyway, not that I sincerely care what your latest botched scheme was, why are you still here?" he added.

Petra looked a bit miffed, and upset. "We came to this town because there was a legend about some family jewels in this castle, hidden in the highest tower, only the legend was fake, we found some guy in a metal mask sleeping in a coffin. From bad to worse, that tasteless lout had his freaks of nature chase us around the castle then finally caught us and was about to feed us to one of his larger monsters. I made an absent comment about his looks and he threw us in here instead. And this is where we have been ever since." She explained over dramatically.

Dino and Mite nodded. "He was real polite when we woke him up really, but Petra didn't notice he was up like we did and started picking his pockets. Then he sort'a went nuts on us…." Dino stated loosely, then yelped as Petra rammed her boot in his face and back. 

"WHO ASKED YOU, PEA BRAIN!" she yelled. She looked at Mite angrily for second, as if she thought he'd say something too, but he just cringed and went back to picking at his bread. Then she turned to Merlock, who just stood gawking at them. They were still a trio of morons, thinking they could get easy scores of fortune and fame by pilfering the past. Now they were finally behind bars, where they belonged. It seemed fitting to him, justice served. They would be here forever, he hoped. They had only snagged Petra and her goons one time and thanks to the Dark Lord, she escaped and they nearly lost Dr. Goodman.

This time, there was no Dark Lord, no fancy devices, and no brilliant plans against them. Petra was at last in a prison where she belonged for her evil ways. He had a to smile a bit, turning away from them and go up the stairs.

"Hey wait! You can't just leave us in this sewer! You're supposed to be a good guy….we're victims here." She yowled. He stopped on the first step, looking back at her with his lovely garnet eyes. Petra was smiling sweetly, no seductively, looking hopeful. "Really…." He said slowly, smirking.

__

Touch me now and I don't care!   
When you take me I'm not there!   
Almost human, but I'll never be the same…._   
_She nodded and made a seductively cute pouty expression. "If you let us out, I'll make it worth your while, Merlock. Come on, what does that little Sara have that my chest doesn't have ten times over?" she said patting her chest with emphasis, her voice lousing her act up. It wasn't working either way, but he smiled and walked up to the bars and looked her dead in the eyes. 

"You're right Petra," he said sweetly, her face lighting up," You do look good to me….behind bars. Ta-ta." Enjoying the horrified expression on her face for a moment, he soon turned and walked up the stairs, throwing one last comment at her. "I hope the monsters choke you reallllll slow. This is justice, you have at last been defeated for good." He laughed, working his way up the dark stairway as Petra started yelling from below.

"You'll regret that, you….little blue fairy!! Dino! Mite! We have to get out of here now! I will not be snubbed by some prissy little freak of nature!" she screamed, but he paid it no more mind. He had his friends to save, he had Sara, the angel of thousand angels to save. He had to hurry, the clock was already ticking away for them all.

**_~ The Dining Hall ~_**

Merlock was pinching his nose extremely hard now. The smell was horrendous. It was like road-kill and vomit all boiled to a rancid mixture and soaked into the whole area. He nearly threw up a few times when he entered the way to the dining room. A map had been left at the top of the stairs for him, making him pale to almost white at its size. It was even bigger than the castle looked, underground caverns, secret chambers, pits, and so forth. He was happy at least that it was labeled, so he knew what he was walking into, but not to whom.

__

Long way down, I don't think I'll make it on my own…._  
Long way down, I don't want to live in here alone_…._  
Long way down, I don't think I'll make it on my own_…._   
_It was enough to have the map, but he could have done without the terrible stench of rotting meat and filth. It was a veritable slaughterhouse odor. He almost shivered in his stomach to consider how the kitchen smelled. 'Concentrate….find everyone and confront the master of this castle. That's all, make sure they are all safe.' He thought, vaguely aware of poor Getalong heaving inside his cloak. 

The hallway was, as the foyer was, completely vacant of life, but it was in better shape. There was a lot of red and black and dark blues in the carpets, windows and tapestry. Very fancy, it was a recapping of the Genesis story, done expertly. As he went on, the story got darker and further from the truth, demons dancing on graves, vampires soaring through the night sky after fresh victims, werewolves galore, and zombies on the loose. 

He found it disturbing that such horrific scenes were displayed in a hall that lead to where people ate. 'They probably puked up everything on the way, which might explain the smell in here, so they'd have room for what's no the table. Sick host I have….sick mind, yuck.' He thought, a rancid taste in his mouth.

It became a sweet taste when he saw one in particular, one that was rather boisterous, in his eyes. It was a vampire sucking the blood of a beautiful naked woman. They looked like they were having sex too, but he couldn't tell. This one was a bit worn and faded, but he could tell she was nude at least. He felt guilty looking at it, but something about it was familiar. He took a few steps and touched the fabric looking up.

Then the image of the vampire became spectral and jumped in his face snarling. He jumped back in fright, feeling the blood of its fangs on his face, leaking in his mouth. He blinked, and the image was gone, the taste in his mouth soothing him.

Merlock quickly shook his head and spit the stuff out. "No, I won't think that, I won't. It was a simple illusion, nothing more. Parlor tricks." He let out heavily.

Getalong was shivering. "I don't think illusions rip fabric." She said timidly. He looked to where she was, the cloak was ripped up on the left side, bloody stained sunk into the one lovely fabric. He tossed it off himself, shaking out his disbelief.

"This is….unreal. There are ghosts in this place? Who the hell is this weirdo?" he gasped. As if in answer, a terrible laugh rang out through the halls, making his half-breed blood grow cold. It passed by him like a dead breeze, unfeeling and evil. Then came a new noise, weeping, a girl crying.

He walked slowly down the halls again, the noise growing, as was his concern. Who would be inside this asylum without good reason, who would be that foolish?

"Help me…please." The female's voice wept, Merlock's heart clenching as it filtered through his mind, his legs moving faster and faster. He finally could see her, he was right in his mind. It was Sara, safe and sound and only a jog away. "SARA! It's Merlock, I'm here, don't cry!" he called. 

__

I never put you down, I never pushed you away…._   
You're not supposed to be that way!   
And anything you want, there's nothing I could say!_

She didn't acknowledge him, only went on crying in place, hunched over in a very lovely dress. The count must have provided it, but that didn't matter. She was there, he could get her to safety first. He ran to embrace her, to tell her he wouldn't let her be harmed, that it would be all right. 

Or he would have if Sara's form passed through his life air, and Merlock rammed smack into the dining room door. "Oh….man….ow…..that'll leave a mark." he muttered all muffled as he slid down the door. He flipped himself over to look at Sara, his heart breaking to see she was only an illusion, a projection used to bait him. She faded out into nothing, along with his hopes of being with her sooner. He sighed heavily, angry at the host for teasing him like this. 

__

Is there anything to feel?   
Is it pain that makes you real?   
Cut me off before it kills me! 

"That was a lousy thing to do….I think he likes to tease me, to see me squirm. He best not hurt my beloved Sara, or there will be blood on my hands. No one hurts my lovely angel. No one toys with my emotions! DO YOU HEAR ME EZEKEIL! NO ONE! YOU'LL BE SORRY YOU EVER LOOKED AT MY LOVE!" he yelled, nearly ripping the door off the hinges as he stormed in.

"HELP! NO! I TASTE AWFUL! TRUST ME, I'M BRUSSEL SPROUTS ALL OVER! PLEASE!" a male voice was yelling.

Merlock looked up, not caring how long the dining room was, but what was on the table. "Tony?" he mumbled.

There was Sara's fraternal twin, Tony Goodman, still in the same yellow shirt which fit him better and blue jeans and sneakers, strapped to the table with severed body parts strew around and over him, the guests all reaching for him. Merlock nearly threw up when he saw they were not people, they weren't even alive. They were zombies, maybe ten or twelve of them, all dressed in corroded and slime-ridden clothing, some with missing fingers, or arms. One was flopped on the table, crawling towards Tony's legs with a hungry, pitiful moan, its intestines leaving a slick trail of bile and slick excrement behind it. Most of them had eye sockets hanging out of their head, brains exposed and leaking out bluish juices. All undead, all hungry….for Tony's flesh.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Merlock yelled, pulling out his wand swiftly in his charge. The zombies were terribly slow in turning their heads, a few of their necks cracking as they did so, a head or two falling on the table with gnashing teeth and wet cracks. 'I can't let them bite him, he'll become one of them. Sara would never forgive me….hell, I wouldn't forgive me.' He thought, letting his wand cast flames up the zombies closest to him.

They wailed instantly, but still they came, on fire and reaching for Merlock and Tony. Merlock simply leapt over them and onto the table, kicking the heads away and burning the others. They stopped a few moments, flaming like crazy, then started to move again, some crawling on the table like toddlers, vomiting and filthy ones. Merlock groaned. 

He had seen enough monster movies in his spare time, just for fun, to know a shot to the head killed a zombie, but he didn't have a gun nor did he like them. 'Sure could use one though….' He thought, feeling sick as more undead fiends crawled up. Merlock just shook his head free from the overwhelming sick smell and used his dagger to cut Tony free, leaping off with the young man as the zombies closed in on them.

They landed a ways off, but the zombies saw them and were all slowly and messily crawling back off the table. The leg-less ones were slowly dragging themselves along, moaning with pitiful hunger and drooling, lipless faces. The gray and rotting group kept coming, rivulets of drool roping down from their hungry jaws, rotten fingers with exposed sinew and maggot festered bone reaching greedily for their flesh. 

__

Merlock looked around as he set Tony down, frowning with seeing the only other way out was behind the zombies, the door he'd come through was gone. He looked to the undead again and past, looking for another weapon. There were only so many brains he could impale with his wand, they'd be bitten and eaten alive for sure. Then something glinted in his sights, one of the zombies not too far off. It had armor on, possibly a knight or warrior who thought he could best the count and failed. He had a sword hanging loosely on his weathered, grimy hips, a Damascus. Merlock grinned a bit, then looked to Getalong floating above them. "I need you to distract the other zombies….make them chase you….or reach. One of them has a sword. Can you do it Getalong?" he called to her.

"Alrighty, Merlock!" she said, still scared, but she didn't want to see the boys eaten. Swift and sure, Getalong floated over the rotting heads of the undead. They stopped and reached for her vainly, not having the brains to jump up. Merlock waited a few moments until she got the zombies walking in slow and clumsy circles, the armored one's leg breaking off at the groin and sending it to the floor with messy wet thud. 

Merlock sprinted from him with his wand, ramming the end through its skull. He didn't bother to watch its death spasm or wipe the gush off his arm. He tore the sword belt off the thing and rushed away, feeling the cold dead fingers of the others a breath away from his throat as he did. 

He stopped, the smell of blood giving him a rush in his system. He couldn't see Tony anymore, not Getalong, he could only see the blood on him, the smell was driving him crazy. He growled a little and swung around with the blade, lopping of four heads in the graceful movement. The bodies let geysers of flesh, bone and blood rain upon him and the others. "You will not hurt anyone anymore! HAH!" he shouted, attacking the rest. 

Windstorms of blood flew as he beheaded the other creatures, none backing off. They only wanted a meal, a live and breathing, bleeding meal, but Merlock wouldn't allow it. He was thankful zombies were so naturally stupid and single-minded. It made defeating them simple. 'Oh Sara, for you….I will be your knight. I will rescue you, my love.' His mind said valiantly, slicing the final decayed head off so hard it sailed right into the wall and splattered.

He grinned at his triumph, putting the belt on swiftly and sheathing the blade. "Try and eat my friends, hah, I don't think so. Never will a friend of Merlock Holmes be fast food." He countered to his unseen host.

"Perhaps….but that's just one flesh sack you saved, my boy….you still have a few to go." A soft voice let out, then let out a ghastly laugh. Merlock stiffened and whirled to it, to a shadowy expanse in a corner. He could see the outline of a tall man there, long hair blowing beautifully in the breeze, and a cape. "Dark Lord?" Merlock gasped. It couldn't be him, they called a truce, and the Dark Lord was a child now in the World of Dread.

"No, I am not that child, my boy. I am Count Ezekeil, the master of this castle, and your esteemed host for this endless night of merriment." The man chuckled softly.

"Well I'm not having any fun and I doubt Sara and the others are either. Why are you doing this? Because Petra came here?" Merlock demanded, ready to pull his blade out to back up his wand any second.

"No need for violence. You looked like you were having a lot of fun killing my dregs. The excitement was in your blood, your hormones were on fire for it. It must have been exhilarating for you, little boy, not yet a man for you have not tasted a long enough sup of virgin blood." he chuckled softly, shifting in the darkness.

He paused a moment, rubbing his chin as if deep in thought. "Like dear Sara, you tasted a little that one time, your true self was screaming for more….you wanted to tear her clothes off and ravage her blood and body." He added huskily, and Merlock could tell he was smirking from the smugness in his voice

Merlock reddened with embarrassment and anger. This fiend had been spying on him for a long time to know that. "How dare you suggest such a thing. I would never hurt my angel! I wouldn't rape her either! You're depraved, Ezekeil!" Merlock shot back, only to get that bothersome chuckle again.

"I know….you're so much like Madeline. So sweet and gentle, a true human heart….but your taste in females leads to be desired. I can't believe you bother looking at this girl but, I have spoken enough," he uttered and tossed a shiny silver thing at Merlock.

"You can send your friend home now, and that will take you to the next part of your journey, but you best hurry, or my appetite might get the best of me, with dear little Sara….beside me." Ezekeil laughed.

Merlock grabbed it as he rushed at the shadows, sending his flames from his wand forth, but the man was gone, leaving Merlock with a silver key with a werewolf's head on it. He frowned a bit, wondering where it would take him, then looked to Tony and Getalong, who were still stunned from Merlock's sudden burst of rage. 

Merlock was still angry he'd been accused of having such terrible and filthy thoughts about Sara. True, he wanted to sleep with her when they were properly wed, but to say he'd ravage her like a whore was insulting. Though there was a little truth in it, he had wanted blood. He didn't know why he did now of all times. He'd never had the urge before, why now?

He let the thoughts drift as he approached Tony and Getalong, offering small smile. The door he'd come through had reappeared, perhaps only another cheap illusion to frustrated him once more. "You ok?" he asked.

Tony nodded, rubbing his arms a bit. "Getalong, you lead Tony back to the entrance, and leave him n the garden" Merlock said, showing her the map for a few minutes," Get to my Time Scooter and fly it into the front garden. Just wait for the others, unless some things come outside. If they do, get as high as you can above it….no one is going to die but these terrible creatures."

"Ok, Merlock….just try and calm down a little, You're scaring us." She commented. Merlock didn't get her drift, or rather didn't want to. This wasn't Petra Fina and her morons, this was blood sucking full bred vampire and real monsters that were our for blood and flesh. He couldn't be gentleman vampire with them. They simply wanted to kill, not plan world domination like fools. 

__

Long way down, I don't think I'll make it on my own!   
Long way down, I don't want to live in here alone!   
Long way down, I don't think I'll make it on my own!

He watched the pair leave, then turned to the new door and went through to be put inside a stone cavern. He was alarmed slightly, but then again Ezekeil seemed to be good at illusions and eccentricity. He tapped a wall and found it solid. "No wonder he's so hyper about this….game of his. He must loose a lot of guests in this insane asylum." Merlock muttered, and walked on, his boots tap-tap tapping and echoing throughout the dimly lit cavern.

~

After an hour, Merlock heard wet footsteps behind him. He frowned deeply, figuring it was a straggler zombie he might have missed. He turned around with an angry expression sword in hand. His eyes widened, as a fireball was raging at his head. Merlock dove down skinning his knee good as the ball of flame flew by, followed by a few more from different angles. 

He got up in a crouch, his garnet eyes adjusting and scanning the area. The wet noises got closer, and soon took shape. Merlock almost swallowed his tongue as a bright red, a blue, and rancid purple fish-man stepped wetly into view. The smell on them was of dead fish and chum, but not nearly as bad as the zombies.

They lacked necks, just a trio of hulking giant fish-men with muscular, slimy bodies, gills where the ears would have been on a normal person. They also had claws on their webbed hands and feet, scraping at the stone floor as their wet digits slimed across the floor. Merlock just stared at them, the ever breathing and belching things at least a few feet away now. One opened its mouth and the fireballs from before erupted, but went right over his head. These things weren't smart either, but were moving faster than the zombies. Merlock managed to get up, keeping low, but yet again, he was shocked when the blue one jumped at him, ramming into his chest, its claws digging into his chest as they slid several feet.

He kicked it in the gills and it screeched, pulling its terrible digits out long enough for Merlock to right himself. He cut the thing in half at the waist, then jumped back with a sickened expression as the thing's flesh melted off the bone, only leaving a sizzling skeleton behind. The smell wasn't so bad anymore from the fish, now Merlock stunk to high heaven. Some more fireballs swished past him, the remaining two now seven. And still more were coming. "Too many….they're stalling me, I must be close." He muttered to himself, slashing at the group hard before sprinting down the abyssal cavern. At least four wailed and melted with their fallen brother, keeping the others from moving long enough for Merlock to outrun them.

**_~ Door of the Wolf ~_**

Merlock kept swishing his clothed body around in the slim underground river, the smell nearly dead and his wounds were almost healed. The fish-men seemed to lose interest in perusing him once he went into a new and deeper section of the caverns. It was like an underground spring, cold and wet. He trekked out of it, dripping wet, but content he didn't smell fowl anymore.

He squeezed out what he could, then picked up his sword and wand from the ground, putting them back on his belt. He'd only stopped to clean up when he saw the door with the werewolf knocker and keyhole. If Sara were behind this door, he wanted at least for her to be happy, not sickened. Merlock too a deep breath as he looked at the silver adorned door, then slipped the key into the lock. 

It moved easily, clicking softly. The door opened on its own with a soft groan, the sound of water dripping gently filling his ears. He stepped inside, forgetting the key and took the large room in. It was large cavern a door a ways off with a slightly broken up staircase. 

As he got in further, soft blue flames sprang to life in the walls by themselves, turning the shadows into an eerie, pale blue sight. There was a large and dark lake that the staircase vanishes into. On his side, the stair case was gone, only withered pillars of ancient stone littered in a few place, some barely above the water while others towered strongly. 

Then there was the door, the shape of a serpent carved on it and a keyhole, just like the wolf door, and leaned up against, tied and bruised, was Dr. Goodman. Merlock took a step forward, the hurt man muffling out cries for help. Merlock looked back a bit and frowned. The door of the wolf was a wall like any other. He pounded on it to be sure, bruising his knuckles.

'So these are not simply cheap illusions….it is real magic. Well, either way, I'll have to escort Dr. Goodman out myself. I can't send him through that tunnel if it ever opens up again. He'll be torn apart by those smelly creatures….' He thought angrily. Ezekeil was going too far with this game, he'd waste a lot of time taking each person out then coming back to get the others. Merlock sighed a bit, he'd just have to save them all the faster. 

Her turned about again and leapt onto one of the higher pillars, Goodman's cries becoming all the more frantic, his eyes bulging out of his messy haired head. Merlock didn't quite understand why until he reached the next pillar, and the room quaked, the water rippling dangerously with it. He stopped on that pillar, looking around. There was no other way in or out except the door Dr. Goodman was leaned against. 

The rumbling came again, this time the water rippling more violently, almost bubbling. He looked to it, ignoring the good doctor's frantic cries. He could see something beneath the surface, something like long blonde hair snaking about just below the surface. There were dark shapes under it as well, golden brown color and salmon colors just below them. It was all quite large too, larger than any normal sea creature. He watched until the water vomited up into his face, make him blind for a moment with the cold stinging.

He heard a great growling and a gnashing noises, a soft yell of demand behind it, a woman's voice. He rubbed his eyes frantically, the growling terribly close. Merlock finally freed his eyes of the blindness and sorely wished he hadn't. It was giant sea beast, a naked woman atop a trio of wolf heads for her lower torso. He was faintly glad the head were so bristled and hairy or he'd have been embarrassed. The rest of it was almost like a giant octopus, the four tentacles alive with terrible salmon colored snake-heads. She didn't smell like the fish-men, but she was looking quite venomously at him, all of her was. All of it towered before him, blocking him from Dr. Goodman and the door.

'The Scylla….but that's a Greek legend, she's not real….what am I saying, she's right in front of me giving me the death look. I wouldn't put anything past that beastly host of mine. He probably made her himself.' He thought, taking a step back. Her beautiful face twisted with rage, flinging her bare arm out in his direction. "KILL THE MAN CHILD!" she said in a screeching voice. It nearly made his ears bleed, but her voice made the snake head rear up, all four of them diving at him with gaping endless jaws.

He jumped up as his pillar burst apart as they struck where he was standing, sending a cyclone of flames from his wand into one straggling head. It howled and rear back into the water, coming up terribly singed and enraged. He sent more flames to the others and they took it and dove to stop the burning. He was only making them angry, but it helped to make them unfocused. They were too angry to think, if they thought at all. All they did was dive at him and his ever-shrinking platforms. One always stayed behind, not realizing the target was elsewhere.

He waited a few times before simply just jumping up, not away, three heads pulling back and one staying behind. It jerked a bit as Merlock landed on its head ramming his sword through its throat. It gagged and let out a cascade of blood into the once cool clear water. Merlock stayed where he was, twisting it a bit and smiled when he saw the other three were diving again, ignoring the fact one of their own was still there. 

He waited until they were seconds away to yank his blade free and leap over them, letting them stupidly obliterate their helpless appendage. He quickly slid down each of their backs at a time, setting fire to the parts that were forced to stay above the water, and slitting open as much of their long bodies as he could as he raced to the enraged human part. 

__

I never put you down, I never pushed you away!   
Take another piece of me!  
Give my mind a new disease!   
And the black and white world never fades to gray!

Merlock leapt over the snarling wolf heads and tossed his dagger into the woman's naked chest, piercing her dark heart, dark blood spilling across her bared chest and golden tresses. "I won't let you abuse humans anymore, Ezekeil, not you or your monsters. I won't let anyone hurt my friends for some stupid mind game. Do you hear me! Merlock Holmes is not your pawn! I will rescue my darling Sara and her family. I will always strive for eternity for her and our love!" he shouted proudly, setting fire to the howling wolf heads. 

He leapt off the snake bodies again as they wriggled wildly with pain, dark blood filling the cool lake till it was black as pitch. The human part slumped dead, the rest of the creature collapsing in a heavy and crunching heap of torrid flesh and bone upon the stone steps. It slid down slowly into the endless black abyss of the lake.

Merlock simply reclaimed his dagger and jumped behind the vanishing creature, to cut the still frightened Dr. Goodman free. He pulled off the gag quickly and started to cut the bonds.

"Oh Merlock, you wouldn't believe how long I've been freezing in here with that thing staring at me like the blue plate special. I mean honestly, I'm handsome and all, but I'm not that appetizing. I don't know why monsters and evil Time Shifters always want to eat me, it's beyond me. Just the other day I was saying to Flint how much he eats and he nearly ate my hand when he wasn't looking. I nearly had a heart att…..Mppphhh!" he was babbling frantically, and Merlock regretted taking the gag off, so he shoved it back on.

"Let me get this first, Dr. Goodman, we'll all be a lot happier." Merlock uttered, Dr. Goodman saying something about Merlock being rude, then stopped and slumped his head over in defeat.

**_~ The Lair of Wyrm ~_**

"Thanks a lot, Merlock. I was real cold and scared with that weird creature. She said she'd eat me if I screamed again. Hence the gag, I guess someone didn't want me dead so soon. Eh, heh, heh…." Dr. Goodman proclaimed evenly, still a bit skittish and nervous.

"Yeah, I gathered she wasn't the type you'd be interested in. Speaking of which, have you seen Ms. Grey or Flint maybe?" Merlock asked, checking the older man for wounds. He had none, which was good, but his chatterbox was starting to get to him. The door behind them had vanished the moment they went through it, so Merlock couldn't send him to the garden quite as easily as Tony. DR. Goodman was pleased Tony was all right, but still, the others were still missing and hidden within the strange castle of terror.

"I blacked out when those weird were wolves and fish people landed in the house. They hit me right in the back of the head the moment I saw their reflections on the computer screen. Jillian screamed right before I blacked out. I didn't hear or see anything else. I just woke up in there with that….fish…snake, eh wolf lady….?" he was saying.

"Scylla…." Merlock corrected eloquently. "Whatever. I'm sorry I can't help you, but that's all I know. At least Tony is safe and sound, now we only have Jillian, Flint, Rocky, Bindi, and Sara to rescue."

"Yeah, it has to be us cause I can't send you to the garden to be safe with Tony and Getalong. Just try not to wander off or touch anything. This whole place is after us….and we have to be swift or the others will die…I nearly didn't save Tony. He was almost a live meal." Merlock replied painfully.

"Yeah….you told me. So where to?" he asked.

"Probably keep going down this tunnel until we reach the next room of joy-." Merlock commented sarcastically, already walking away. "Hey, hey, hey! Wait for me, don't leave me alone in this place…."Dr. Goodman balked, running after the determined young dhampire. 

Merlock nodded faintly, not really listening to the man. His only concern was Sara right now, not Bindi, or Jillian, or even Flint. Sara was with Count Ezekeil, a vampire, the man torturing her family, friends and Merlock. Who knew what that monster was doing to hurt her. 

'Ezekeil so much as breaths on her wrong, I will show him what it means to mess with the object of my affection. I'm coming, my beloved angel of the night. I will rescue you and then I'll spoil you rotten with affection….I swear it. I won't let harm come to you, never!' he thought strongly, clutching his pendant tightly.

__

Long way down, I don't think I'll make it on my own!  
Long way down, I don't want to live in here alone!  
Long way down, I don't think I'll make it on my own….

"On my mother's soul….I will save you, Sara. You can always depend on me….my angel." He whispered to it, wishing with all his might that Sara heard him. He had to succeed, or they would be no point in living without Sara as a part of his life.

**_To be Continued…._**


	6. Ch. 5- Welcome to Your Nightmares

**__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone of "**Flint: The Time Detective**," and the monsters are mostly borrowed from the way beyond cool Playstation game "**Castlevania: Symphony of the Night**." I own the castle, the monsters, and the count. I know this is probably my shortest chapter, but I'll make up for it next chapter with Flint vs. Merlock! Hail to Merlock and Sara! Enjoy!

****

Chapter 5

Welcome to Your Nightmares

~ Castle of Count Ezekeil ~

**_- West Wing -_**

Dr. Goodman was a bit horrified and babbling about Merlock's behavior, more or less he let Merlock know that it was not only trip free, but Merlock looked like he knew what he was doing, and liked it. Merlock didn't recall anything but saving the chatty man's life and avoiding being eaten by the she-beast. He was a little amazed at himself too. Never in his life had he ever been so….graceful. He had to admit it, no tripping, falling, no teasing, just a fight to the death and nothing but the air at his back, with snapping, drooling jaws a breath away. It'd felt so good, he felt so strong lately, like he could take on any monster in the realm. 

He felt so damned alive and free fighting for more than just time and space. Fighting for Sara and his love, his friends as well so deathly was exhilarating. It was dead serious, which only pushed him on. There had been a few illusions off and on of ghosts and monsters he garnet eyes saw right through, but the Sara illusions were harder to resist running to. He missed her so badly. Even the illusions were temporary comfort for his ailing heart, only to break it into a thousand pieces whenever the image would vanish. 

Goodman didn't help by pointing out that Sara wasn't real after Merlock ran through the illusions into walls and doors. He'd shoot the man a terse look with a bruised face, then plod on. Now he saw why Jillian jilted the man, he never shut up and what he spoke of was near and far of the subject at hand. He was a brilliant scientist, but still, he could talk you to death about nonsense. 

At least Tony wasn't with him, he and Getalong were safe outside. He looked out what windows he could after saving Tony, he'd seen them out there. By now, they had to be in town, maybe. He just hoped outside was safer than inside, for humans anyway. He still had Flint, Jillian and his dearest Sara to save. "You seen Bindi yet?" Goodman piped as Merlock tried a new door, finding it locked. He sneered at her name, nearly breaking the knob before moving on. "I owe Bindi nothing but a swift kick in the shell. She gave Sara away to those things. I won't forgive her for that….she's got a one way trip back to the Land of Time. Sara and I had a wonderful date, and Bindi took her from me out of petty jealousy….oops…." he said angrily at first, then held his mouth.

Goodman had stopped walking, and was staring at him. Merlock could almost feel it boring into his back. "Date….so that's why she's been missing from her room lately." He said calmly enough, but Merlock heard a bit of temperament in it. He turned his head a bit, looking at the man. "I guess Jillian doesn't know….yet."

Merlock shook his head then felt his face redden as Dr. Goodman smiled. "Don't worry, son, I was rooting for you. Jillian….is a bit cold a lot. I dunno why she'd forbid either of you to see each other over a simple thing as Petra escaping again. I thought she was in love with you."

"I don't know….I just was….given a chance to see Sara again and took it. Please….don't forbid me too…I'll just break it and steal her away. I can't stand to be without her, please." Merlock begged, but the man kept smiling. 

"Calm down, Merlock. Your secret is safe with me….I always wanted you two to get together, you treat her right and you dote on her endlessly. You remind me a little of me when I was your age….but you….well, I have to admit it, you're not blinding in love with her, like I am with Jillian. I doubt it'll ever be something, but no harm in trying. Not like I'm stalking her…heh, heh. You live your life….however you see fit with your heart. I approved of you long ago…even before Sara probably did….just know if you break her heart, I'll turn you into stone and put you in the park." Goodman grinned.

Merlock nodded slowly, knowing he'd never harm Sara's precious, golden heart. "Deal….now onward." Merlock grinned with prominent fangs. Sometimes, Dr. Goodman made sense.

"Hey who knows, maybe if I try hard enough and act as fancy as you do, Jillian will come around and see what handsome catch I am too." Goodman chirped. Merlock's face fell. 'Sometimes he makes sense….other times….hasn't got a clue.' He thought, frowning with a roll of his eyes. 

Merlock tested the next door, and it surprisingly turned. He looked up at it, and there was a symbol on it, an eye. He frowned a bit. "Now what….beholders*? Giant floating eyes dribbling puss and slimed up blood? What new gross horrors are in store for me, hmm?" he mutters, griping the hilt of his blade tightly as he kicked the door in.

He blinked, silent a moment, not daring to breathe. "What is it?" Goodman said loudly behind him. Merlock jumped five feet in the air with a screech and landed on the poor man's head. Merlock picked himself, not bothering to help the man up. He'd nearly scared the life out of him. "Nothing….but a bedroom…." Merlock said tersely, walking inside.

Goodman just looked up, rubbing his sore head. "Nice bedroom…looks almost…romantic. Red and pink everywhere, you could really woo heavily in there." Goodman announced. Merlock looked back at him as he stroked the satin sheets. They were terribly soft and silky, almost making his skin quiver with delight. He always dreamed of his and Sara's honeymoon looking like this, in fact exactly, except not so much pink, maybe some lavenders and blues instead. Red had been one of his ideas for it, the other shades on other days. It looked so shiny and inviting, the smell of roses, his Sara's sweet smell wafting in his delicate nostrils.

__

Sleep, little boy, sleep with love…._eternally_….

His head swam a bit with thoughts of her, like she was beside him. 'Lay down….yeah….wanna lay down.' He thought groggily, his eyes lidding a bit off and on. He felt so tired suddenly, so loose and relaxed. He did want to lay down, just rest, maybe for a minute. Merlock could see the sheets getting closer, almost reaching out to him like a lover to draw him in.

Soon he saw nothing but red as his mind drifted to sleep. He barely heard the door slam shut with Dr. Goodman screaming out his name. It was all so far away and unnecessary. 

__

Sleep little boy…._sleep_…._so I can love you to death._

The voice was so soft, so faraway, but his body was helpless to do anything but agree and obey. He'd sleep….yes.

__

Sleep and die…._heh_…_heh._

**_~ Nightmare ~_**

Merlock felt something licking his neck. It was soft and small, wetly warm. He moaned gently, it felt so nice. His body was still half-asleep, but the senses were coming again. Someone was lying beside him, fingering his body through his clothing. He felt a hand on his thigh, rubbing it in such small circles it made his entire form warm. 'Sara….' He thought, smiling a little, he figured he was.

He opened his garnet eyes gently, and saw her, his Sara, licked his neck, her hair covering most of her. She was next to him, her other hand, flicking at his buttons. He felt so drugged and tired that he allowed it, watched her. "Sara….my love, you're…safe." He managed out, feeling so tired. She nipped him, which made him feel odd, not turned on, more like worried. She starts to sit up, kneeling.

Merlock focused a bit better on her and choked. She was half-naked, only her underwear on, and her long fuchsia hair covering her lovely breasts barely. He felt his pants tighten slightly, and hit at his groin to stop any urges. 'Sara…you're so…no, no, can't be Sara. She wanted to wait a few more months….till we told everyone we were dating….no..she said it would be perfect….didn't she…gods she's so gorgeous….such small panties…' he was thinking, his mind wandering the harder her looked. His face was getting purple now. 

"You want me, Merlock. Please….I've been so scared without you. I need you…I want you inside me…"she purred, rubbing herself in such an alluring way" You wouldn't deny me your love, would you? I won't know you still love if you don't show me."

His pants really felt like a burden right now, but it died down as he absorbed her words, not the sexual movements she was making, exposing her chest to him off and on. 

He quickly shoved her away and leapt off the bed, drawing his blade. "You're not my beloved! Sara wouldn't talk like that. Sex isn't love….she wouldn't say such a thing. Who are you!?" he demanded, his eyes flashing hatefully at the imposter.

The girl turned her head, and the eyes of blue became red, her hair shortening and body changing. He nearly bit his tongue off, backing away quickly as the scantily clad woman stood on the bed.

"J-Jillian?!" he gasped, not able to believe what he was seeing. It was Jillian, same hair and face, but she wasn't human anymore. She had demon wings on her back and small wings on her head sticking out of her pinkish hair. She was in studded leather tanktop and underwear, black as oil. She wore boots up to her creamy thighs of the same color, a tail of a demon swishing behind her to and for furiously. 

"So your stupid love saw past my perfect spell, little boy…too bad…I wanted to give you a good first…and last time," she tittered, her voice sounding utterly evil and seductive," You're stronger than most intruders in the Master's castle."

"Why do you look like that!? You can't be Jillian!" he gasped, watching her hover off the bed, not bothering to touch the ground as her breasts jiggled heavily under the tanktop. This wasn't Jillian's body, she was more conservative, and she wasn't that big on top. The face was thinner, like she was somebody else. 

"I am technically the creature Jillian. I'm just borrowing her pathetic body to ensnare some beautifully sexual men to keep this body young. I intend to screw a lot of men's dreams up. Its what a succubus does, lovely. We make love to unsuspecting male dreamers, lost and lonely ones….and drain them dry during it. But our bodies don't last forever….once the body is marred or injured, gotta get a new one by melding the old with the new. The Master gave me this one recently. I just gave her some of my better features, little jealous thing…." She purred, stroking her sides daringly.

Merlock sneered. "Jealous? Of what?"

The succubus with Jillian's body cackled, her wings spreading widely. "Oh Sara….she seems to be attached to you as your legal guardian too heavily. She fell in love with you, child, and dear Sara's competition. When she saw you were getting too close, she tried to stop it, but she lost you in turn. She's still jealous like that floating pink snail brat….but she was so lost and upset with her mistake with you….she was easy prey. Now….enough of this talk. Let's see how strong you are, little boy. Time to play." 

With that the room expanded into a graveyard, the succubus flying high above him as her wings flapped harsh and loud. He watched her as she dove at him, raising her hands over her head swiftly. He jumped out of her way only to get a shock in the side. He looked back and saw her throwing balls of lightening at him. His side hurt, probably burned badly. He could faintly smell his own blood flowing, but not enough to worry about.

He growled at her, his eyes flaring up angrily. Not only had she tried to seduce him and pretended unjustly to be his Sara, he was using Jillian's body to kill him. If he killed the succubus, he'd kill Jillian. He didn't hate her that much. 'I have to reach Jillian somehow….I have to make her see she doesn't have to feel guilty anymore…but how. I'm mad about the jealous crap,' he thought, leaping out of the way of her clawing hands and lightening balls.

He cut her arm, and she wailed, her red eyes flashing blue a bit. 'Jillian's still alive in there….I have to be careful, be smart. Talk and injure….' He thought, jumping at the succubus and kicking her in the face. She flew back, out of range and threw several lightening balls. He dodged them all, watching gravestone after gravestone suffering the aim. 

"JILLIAN! WAKE UP! IT'S OK NOW!" he yelled, slashing the other arm. She went higher after that, and stayed up there, firing at him. He growled a bit, and pulled his wand out. "Jillian please! Don't let her hurt me. I love you really…but as my guardian. We never could have been, not just because of our ages….because I don't feel that way about you. You were a mother to me….you took care of me, you taught me everything I know about being a Time Detective. Don't let her ruin all that love you gave an orphaned boy. PLEASE JILLIAN, FIGHT HER!" he shouted, sending fireballs at the creature. One hit her leg, but the others missed their target as she spiraled down, grabbing her head.

"Jillian! Don't let her destroy all you've worked for. Think of all the people who will miss you, not just me! Dr. Goodman, the Old Timer, Tony and Sara, all the Shifters. Don't hurt them because you're upset. You've got the rest of your life ahead of you. Please, don't give up because one thing wasn't meant to work out. Don't leave us all behind, HAH!" Merlock shouted as he jumped up and bashed the wand against the creature's head.

She wailed and he kicked her in the stomach, grabbing onto her body as she sailed down and hit the ground. He started to hit her again, then was violently kicked off, ramming though several gravestones painfully. He tasted blood a moment, then got up swiftly to keep pounding on the thing. He stopped halfway, seeing she was hovering up slightly, screams ripping past her crimson lips horridly as he skin began to toil. Her face was splitting in different direction with a wet rip. Her left half was cut up and burned, while the other was Jillian, moaning and crying in pain.

"NOOOOO!!!! I WON'T HURT MERLOCK AGAIN!! NEVER!!" she wailed, and they split in two. Jillian scantily clad body rolling off to the right. The other body, horribly burned and cut, was the succubus. She was horrible to behold, especially in so little clothing. Only tufts of long black hair stuck out in a few place, one of her eyes missing. She was moaning painfully, the only thing she and Jillian having in common were the burns on their left leg and the cuts on their arms.

The succubus fell weakly to her knees, moaning still. "How could you….defeat me….how could you even survive so long….you can't be…a vampire….can you?" she said in a lovely voice through her charred lips. Her blood was fragrant, like winter lilies on a lake. His fangs poked out a bit more as he smelled it, then his eyes narrowed sharply as he raised his blade and wand.

"You'll never know, beast….die in your chamber of nightmares and suffer forever for this atrocity. May you wander endlessly between the worlds of life and death…." He said coldly, his red eyes flashing at her. Her blood flowed in his eyes so perfectly, and the blade came down. Her head rolled away past the crimson fountain of her neck, bath his front a bit in the scented life of the dream killer. Then he burned her body with his wand, so she would never be used to harm anything again. She was writhing dust in minutes, as she crumbled, so did the dream.

**_~ Room of Endless Sleep ~_**

Dr. Goodman had been pounding on the locked door for nearly two hours before it opened on its own, the poor man fall inside and only the now dusty floor. He picked himself up and found the room was different. It looked like it had been abandoned for centuries, endless dust and cobwebs littering the weathered furniture and bedding. 

He rubbed his eyes moment, not sure he was seeing this correctly. It had been so lusciously red and pink before, so romantic, now it was like a ratty motel room. His eyes scanned the place a little till he saw a clean spot, the closet that was of fine stained oak. He wondered why it was so clean until something banged against it, then again and again. He waited a few moments before touching the knob, then braced himself with a deep breath and yanked it open, jumping back.

He yelped loudly as a large dusty coffin fell on his feet. He yanked them free, whimpering terribly as they throbbed with pain. Then the coffin lid flew off and he fell over screaming.

Merlock's head popped out, shaking his lavender hair gently as he crawled out and stared at Goodman. "What's all the screaming for….? You see a rat?" he asked plainly.

Dr. Goodman frowned a bit, watching Merlock reach back in the coffin to pull out Miss Jillian, dressed rather….sexy. He drooled a bit, then shook his head and got up. He shrugged out of his lab coat and gave it to Merlock. "Cover the poor woman, she'll be mortified if she goes home in just that….and no, it was not a rat. I have a think about coffins leaping out of nowhere."

Merlock nodded and put Jillian into the long white coat, then handed her over to Goodman. "I have to fight these things….not you two. Who knows what's next, the boogie man?" He uttered.

Dr. Goodman nodded and kept her close, smiling a bit. He'd always wanted her in his arms, but under better circumstances.

"Quite right, lad….this is your fight, not that of mere…soft humans." A sensual male voice uttered from everywhere. He quivered, and saw Merlock sneer at a corner of shadows.

"Ezekeil….how dare you use Jillian to try and make me succubus supper! How dare you have her image used as a sex tart! You fiend! You will pay dearly for this atrocity against my beloved angel!" Merlock growled, pointing his blade at the shadowy figure.

"Oh pish posh, lad, just testing your skills. You really must love this…second rate human…."Ezekeil was saying, but as soon as he did Merlock rushed at him angrily with his blade. The shadows fluttered apart like ravens flying from danger, and setting in another. 

"Don't you dare speak of my perfect love like that! You have no right to speak of love at all, you heartless fiend!" Merlock yelled, his eyes flaring red and fangs over an inch long. Dr. Goodman backed away from them both, scared that either one of them would blow any second.

"Such spirit….I am so proud….you are much better than I had thought. I do wonder though, how are your urges lately for the red?" Ezekeil asked. Merlock visible shook. Goodman didn't understand fully what the man meant, then remembered Merlock's battle with the Scylla creature. His eyes flared up a lot during that whenever blood was shed, as if Merlock was lusting for it. Merlock was part vampire, of sorts, but never showed a lust for blood….till now.

"I….can control it. It's not your concern." Merlock said in a quiet voice.

Ezekeil laughed. "Oh please, you nearly had an orgasm when you smelled her blood for the first time. Gentleman vampire….a hormonal little necker….soon. I wonder how long you will be able to control yourself, so naïve to your true nature. How long will you last….or how far will you go for love. You want all of her so terribly, to drink her, pierce her skin, her maiden flesh….so sweet."

"SHUT UP YOU BASTARD! I'll rescue Sara from your dirty clutches, soon…you'll see and then you will pay for this!" Merlock growled.

"Yes, yes, the unjust suffer all the time, super hero nonsense and such. Whatever, child. But….we don't need these peasants around. You saved them fair and square….so they may go." He uttered, snapping his fingers. 

Dr. Goodman wanted to object to being called a peasant, but in the mere snapping sound, he didn't see Merlock anymore, he saw Tony and Getalong and the time cycle. "Oh….Merlock….what on Earth is going on?" was all he could ask as his nephew came to him, nearly in tears that his uncle was alive. Dr. Goodman only hoped that Merlock and Sara would survive this mad game, not simply, against their dark host, but against what other terror lay in wait, to bring Merlock closer to the point of bloodlust.

**_~ Gallery of Gold ~_**

Merlock trudged on, worried about anything the count did or said. The conversation ended abruptly after Goodman and Jillian vanished. All of the shadows left the room as a trap door appeared inside the coffin. It slid out loudly enough for him to know where it was, revealing a staircase. He went down carefully, the words of the count still flooding his mind.

It was true, he'd felt the urge to lick Sara's blood away, to taste it. He'd felt all those things, shamefully, he had. He felt so badly he wanted such things, but he was a good person. He wouldn't hurt Sara, ever. He was doing this mainly for her. He had to protect her and her friends and family. She didn't appreciate him only saving her and nearly letting the others get hurt. He knew that well enough, he'd never overlook his friends for their love if they were all in danger. That was the case now.

"I won't fail you Sara….now there's just Flint, Pterri…hmph, and Bindi left to rescue I'll find them. I've gotten this far….I won't stop till I reach Ezekeil himself and stop him once and for all. I'll save them all….cause we're….together in this. They've been my friends for a long time….and they don't deserve to suffer like this. I won't let him use them against me….he's gone too damn far." Merlock told himself, clutching his pendant tightly," For you mother….I'll be strong. This time, I won't run away. No taunting or darkness will scare me this time."

**_To Be Continued…._**

Teaser: Merlock battles Flint to save himself and Pterri from becoming pate. Will Merlock have to kill Flint to save himself, or will he have to give into his blood and make his urge for the crimson flow to grow?


	7. Ch. 6- Festival of the Dead

**__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of **Flint: The Time Detective** or the **Nocturnal Rites** beautiful song **Destiny Calls. **In this songfic chapter's lyrics, the words like **this **are important to the story. Enjoy and review!

****

Chapter 6

Festival of the Dead

**~ Gallery of Gold ~**

Merlock wondered if this hall of golden awnings and endless gothic artwork would ever end. He'd been walking down it for nearly an hour. The paintings were all very disturbing, worse than the tapestries from before. It was all out cannibalistic skeletons ravaging villagers, the town each scene of gory hellish desires the one he'd been in the other day. This count obviously hated it to death, but Merlock didn't understand why. 

__

Who holds the secret?  
Who sets my destiny?  
When will I find out?  
What lies in the path for me?

He kept moving for a few more minutes before he finally reached a turn and frowned. "More?! How much farther is this stupid hallway!?" he exasperated at the similar and endless gold expanse of walking. He growled a bit, not liking going and going and going with not a single door or window in sight. He had no idea if Ezekeil kept his word about Jillian and Dr. Goodman. All he had to go on was hope, which was dwindling right now. He turned around, thinking it'd be better if he went back the way he came and tried another door instead of the one that led here.

"Gah! What the hell?" he yelped. The hall was gone, only a blank wall on three sides of him. 

"This is getting me nowhere…its not fair, the castle keeps changing behind my back." He grumbled and turned again, leaping backwards into the wall behind him. The hallway there was gone too, replaced by a wall with a demon's head shaped door in its place. Upon it was written," Door of Spirits." He frowned a bit, but it was a door at least. He gripped the handle cautiously, the claw like knob turning easily in his soft grip. He pushed the door open quietly, the smell of candle flames and rich wine filling his senses. 

'Maybe I have found Sara….a lady as lovely and perfect as her is worthy of such aroma.' He thought mildly, smiling a little, entering cautiously. The door slammed behind him and vanished the moment he took a step away from it. He jumped slightly and looked at the blank, stone wall, then shrugged and looked back at the room. It was some kind of Roman arena, the floor of fine and solid sand, littered with a few chunks of sandstone. 

He saw a throne high above in the stadium area surrounded by sandstone benches, where audiences were probably set during tournaments. His stomach turned a bit as he scanned the walls and ground, spatters of old blood and numerous human skulls strewn about. The seats were endless benches of sandstone, the points near the throne where they stopped. The throne was gold, not sandstone, spoiled rich with lavish trimmings. The throne was empty, but it was very clean, like someone had been sitting on it.

__

Who bears this knowledge?  
The secrets of all to be.  
Foretell my future,  
Is the answer inside to see?

"What are doing here?" a rather angry chirp of a voice uttered several feet away. Her looked to it quickly, not daring to believe his luck. "Flint! Rocky! You're here!" he said pleasantly with a fanged smile, then it fell as Flint stepped a little closer. His eyes were the same color, still dressed in his red loincloth, but his eyes had dark bags under them, filled with evil. 

He even looked angry, angrier than Merlock had ever seen him. Rocky looked the same as ever, but rather frantic. "Don't come near us, Merlock! Flint's not himself, get away as fast as you can." Rocky shouted, but it was too late. Merlock wasn't very far away, and moving too quickly at close quarters might earn him an ass kicking, or ass smashing.

Merlock just stared at the young cave boy, heartbroken. Merlock was possessed one by Uglinator, nearly killing Sara and the others under the dark influence. Flint and Sara had saved him from doing so and from being evil forever, from being monster. It simply hurt to see Flint in such a state. It was a bad feeling to find one's friend like this. He had to bet they all felt horrible to have the hurt Merlock when he got possessed by evil. He still hadn't forgiven himself for it, such a moment of weakness to a short adversary. He hadn't tripped as he recalled during his evil state, but he wouldn't have traded his personality for anything. Sara cared so much for him that moment. Perhaps it had been a turning point for them.

__

So I stand up and shout at the world!  
For my questions to be,  
But the powers are out of my reach.  
So here I am, still right back from the start!

Then something caught his eyes, a flash of purple above Flint's head. Merlock only moved his eyes, not his head. He didn't need to tick whatever was controlling Flint off any more than it already was, or let alone make it know it'd been discovered. It was a purple orb about the size of a medicine ball, glowing darkly inside. He could faintly see something crammed inside of it, something with the devil's eyes, flashing each time Flint made a movement or noise. The noises the boy made now were merely growls and snapping snarls, but the orb was in control of Flint's, all be it slow, mind.

'I can't kill my friend….you can't make me, demon. I can see you, and you won't know it…till its too late.' He though, carefully moving his eyes back to Flint. 

"Flint, please….listen to me, its Merlock. Your friend, remember. You don't want to hurt anybody…YIE! Well, maybe you do…." Merlock was trying to say when Flint roared and swung his father for Merlock's skull. Merlock dove away, but Flint was still coming, swinging like a mad boy. 

All Merlock could do was jump and run, watching the flashing orb urge his small friend on to kill him with shocks of purple lightening. "I will kill you, intruder. No one defies the master! DIE!" Flint screamed.

"Son! Don't! Yie! That's Merlock! You're going to kill your friend, stop it now! Listen to your father already or no more food! Yow!" Rocky went on, getting slammed hard on the ground and the walls throw every raging strike. Merlock paled considerably. Flint was really out of it if he didn't even respond to food being prohibited. He was going to have to fight him or die to make Flint stop the attacks. It made him angry he was forced to hurt a friend. His friends did it for him when he was possessed, so he could too. He only hoped he could keep Flint alive during it.

__

Destiny's calling, leaving my future to be,  
Destiny's calling, screaming in anger!  
My thoughts are out of reach!

I hold my soul inside of my hands  
The **future is my past**!

"Yeah….listen to your father,….gah, watch it. IEEE!! FLINT! STOP IT!" Merlock was pleading and got slammed in the gut with Rocky for his effort. He went flying into the golden throne, feeling highly aware that some of his ribs had been broken. He could taste his own blood filling his small mouth, staining his lips with crimson love. He felt his mouth ache again, the feeling from his reunion with his beloved Sara returning. He shook it off as hard as he could, the pain in his hurt sides returning. They'd heal, but he didn't have the time to sit down and do that. Flint was already leaping up at him, screaming with hate and raging bloodlust in his once innocent eyes. "DIE, YOU WEAKLING GIRL!"

"GIRL!? Why you little shining bastard ball! I'll show you who's a girl!" Merlock growled. He knew who said it, really. Flint would never say such a lousy thing to him. Forgetting the pain in his gut, he jumped over Flint, landing hard on his head him, hard enough to stun him somewhat. It worked and Merlock quickly pushed off the hard head, right to the shining orb.

As he leapt up, Merlock yanked his blade out and ran it dead through the sphere. The sphere crackled and howled in pain as Flint hit the ground. Merlock landed several feet away, fangs bared and blade ready. "Come and get me, demon. You won't fool Merlock Holmes!" he shouted to it.

Flint was dazed a bit, Rocky trying to keep him unconscious by bopping him, but the sphere zapped Rocky hard. "Holmes….then you're….no! You can't be…a Holmes, die! DIE DAMN YOU!" Flint's now muddled voice, like and old man and a boy speaking at the same time. 

"What about me being a Holmes? I'm the only one left….What do you know, you psycho beach ball!" Merlock shot back, but the sphere's voice and Flint's only cackled at him. "You'll never know, imposter. You can't be him….now die!" they cackled.

__

Who'll light my way now?  
Now that **I stand alone**…._  
**My past still haunts me**!  
**My friend is my enemy!** _

Merlock was way ahead of him, barely hearing what the thing said through Flint. He was simply waited for Flint's body to jump, which it did, before rolling under Flint and launching himself off the wall to ram into Flint's back as the boy landed. Flint sprawled out forward, sliding harshly on the sandy ground. Merlock jump at the sphere again, slashing hard again before dropping to the ground. 

Flint was getting up again, bleeding from his little lip. The sphere moved closer to his head, crackling dangerously. The thing thought Merlock was that stupid, obviously. 'Like I'd attack something holding a friend hostage that half-assed. I'm smarter than a damn demon disco ball with delusions of grandeur.' He thought angrily, his fangs growing again with his rage to this demonic deceiver.

Merlock stayed in place, crouched. His garnet eyes were focused on the blood leaking from the poor boy's mouth, each crimson drip….drip….drip, making his cheek tick. 'So….rich…and young….red….kill....MUST KILL!' his mind snapped at him violently, but he frantically shook it away in time to see Flint was charging again with his father raised high. 

Merlock did all he could think of, quickly pulled out his wand and struck Flint across the face. Flint moved back a bit, but only growled and charged again, swinging poor Rocky at Merlock. 

Merlock quickly raised both wand and sword and blocked the attacks, staring at Rocky partially with one eye with the other watching the orb.

"You gotta do something, Merlock. My boy's being used and abused over here by this giant bubble gum ball. You gotta help him!" Rocky pleaded with watery eyes. Merlock could only grunt in response and shove on Rocky, forcing Flint away from the orb slightly. Flint simply shoved back harder and made Merlock stumble back a bit They kept repeating the process, not giving one another an inch to escape the other.

"I'm open to suggestions….I'm not the fountain of knowledge with that thing other than to stab it. Flint's the only human left I have to save besides my beautiful and dearest…gah….Sara. I admit this freely, I may be…ungh, older and wiser than your son, but he's damn stronger than ten of me are! Oh, wait," Merlock thought, a grim smile drawing across his blood stained lips,"….the battle with Uglinator, when Petra made me and Flint fight….I did knock him down….you know…." 

Merlock winked at that statement, and he saw realization come into Rocky's big, dark eyes. "Ohhh…yeah…how you beat him….riiight. What was it again?" Rocky said knowingly. Merlock shrugged a bit with a lazy grin.

"I can't recall….little busy….right NOW!" Merlock stated, then shoved very hard on Rocky, knowing Flint would shove back.

When the boy did, Merlock moved right out of the way, letting Flint trip past him. He wasted not a second in whipping out his wand and torching the cave boy. Flint would survive that at least, but a stab wound was beyond help, especially with such a fine blade at hand. Flint and the ball howled together in pain. Merlock moved swiftly in running his blade straight through the tag-along orb when it moved far enough away from Flint's face.

He ripped the blade up the thing hard and sent the flames of his wand at it without mercy. It exploded in seconds, purple smoke dripping out black blood, snaking to the throne. Merlock watched it go and frowned as it solidified into an elder man with purple, muddled skin and white hair. He looked like an elderly priest dressed in dark robes, bleeding all over, dying.

"I….Razel….the master's shaman….have been…defeated? Defeated by a little girly….boy? A….Holmes? You can't be…..him….he's….dead? Isn't he?" the old man uttered painfully.

"Why do you keep saying that? What do you mean? I can't be who?" Merlock shouted, but the old man just gave a grim smile. 

"Only….you could defeat me. I guess….its…in your….blood…., little Merlock….ah…." he said, his breath letting out as his life gave way. Merlock was about to approach the body, but it cackled and crumbled into a pile of purple dust. It blew away from an unfelt wind, then, nothing but silence. 'What was that old fossil talking about? Did he know my mother?' he wondered.

For a few minutes anyway. "Owee….did a I sleep on Stegosaurus again?" Flint's weak and chirpy voice uttered behind him. Merlock looked at him. The blood was gone, wiped away by the sandy floor his poor little form had collapsed on. He looked a little sickly and upset, his father in hand and still dazed from the shocks. Merlock crouched by him, looking at him directly. The young boy looked up at him, a weak smile springing up. "How do you feel? Do you remember anything, Flint?" Merlock asked quietly.

Flint put his little finger to his sore mouth and thought hard, nearly setting his poor hair on fire trying, then gave up and shook his head. "Not a thing. Some weird people hit me with my Dad and then I wake up here with a sore head with you lookin' at me. What happened, Merlock?" Flint asked sincerely.

Merlock just gave a slightly smile and ruffled the boy's hair. "You don't need to know, doesn't matter anymore. Let's just get out of here, ok?" Merlock told him, only to be answered by a pitiful look from Flint and a growling noise. The boy held his stomach fitfully.

"I'm hungry." Flint yelped.

Merlock nearly fell over at his words. After nearly getting killed by Merlock and used to kill Merlock himself, all the kid could think of was damn food. He wanted to hit the child, but refrained from it. Ezekeil was to blame for this, not Flint. The boy had to be running on his supper from two days ago….it was only natural for Flint to be hungry. It wasn't what Merlock wanted to worry about though. Sara, Pterri and Bindi were still inside the castle walls, guarded by who knows what kind of monstrosities. 

He picked the boy up easily after strapping Rocky to his back. He was strong enough to take it and simply carried the boy and father out. "We'll try and find some food, but I can't guarantee anything…." He said, not bothering to look at the vanishing door behind him as he stepped into a red hued hallway full of bonfires," Then again, there has to be something cooking with all the fire around-cough-."

**_ ~ Kitchen ~_**

It hadn't taken long to find the small servant's kitchen and even less time for Flint to attack the piles of fresh food laid out on numerous tables. Merlock was amazed a vampire even had food, such rich foods, cooked and uncooked. 'Why would a vampire need….food, anyway?' he thought sitting down in a nearby chair while Flint devoured the contents of each table 10 seconds at a time. 

He looked around, trying to ignore the food scraps he felt hitting him and all the slobbering noises Flint was making. He saw the door to the kitchen was gone, which disturbed him, one way out being an opening so far off to their left and another one right behind the tables, probably where the stoves were. He could smell meat cooking from where he sat, and had to hold his nose. It smelled bad, like it was spoiled. The food in the kitchen was far grander than whatever the count had cooking. 

The smell was bothering him now. It was horrid, like it'd been spoiled for years. He flinched a moment. "Dead flesh….dead flesh….smells…oh gods no! Flint, get away from the food! It's a trap!" Merlock yelped, leaping to his feet.

Flint lifted his little head from the table he was on, not far from the door. "What trap? Its just food." Flint chirped and began to eat again.

A low moan made him stop. Rocky, Flint and Merlock all looking up at once at the door. Merlock wanted to hit himself for not seeing it sooner. The stove area smelled so bad because there were zombies inside, just as necrotic and foul smelling as those that nearly had Tony's innards for supper hours before. Three plodded out with soft squishing noises of ruined bones and rotting muscle. Flint screeched and jumped swiftly into Merlock's arms. "Monsters!"

Merlock blinked a moment, then rolled his eyes, dropping Flint hard on the floor. I can't fight them if I'm holding you, Flint. We have to fight them back and get to the other door." Merlock stated crassly, pointing at the one to their left, so far away through aisles of tables.

He looked up again, frowning as he saw ten more zombies and more on the way kept slinking out with wet and crunchy steps, their flesh sliding off the muscle and bone in synch with their slow movements. "But….I don't want to hurt people." Flint said quietly, shuffling his feet. 

Merlock had the urge to scream, but refrained yet again. "They're not people anymore. They're zombies, you know, already dead. You won't be hurting them, only preventing them from hurting us and making us verrrrryyy dead."

"Real dead?" Flint asked, looking sick about it. Merlock nodded, jumping back from a zombie that tried to claw at them. Flint went with him, whamming the thing's legs off, but the leg-less torso moaned and drooled rivulets of bile and blood before itself and crawled towards them. "They're lost souls, in eternal torment to hunt the living to stop the pain. We're only freeing them from this living hell, Flint." Merlock said disgustedly, beheading another eager zombie for its efforts.

"Eww…ok. Since they're not really alive….let's do it, Merlock! Dad!" Flint said bravely, and went for the door. The other zombies were already milling around the area. The count had to have had a hand in their thoughts, so it didn't surprise Merlock a whole lot. He pulled out his blade and wand and jumped from table to table, some still littered with food. "Keep to the tables, they can't climb so well!" Merlock shouted to Flint.

The cave boy whapped three groaning and hungry zombies away from himself and nodded, leaping up quickly onto a table near him. They both went from table to table, slashing and knocking away the ravenous undead. Soon they were mere feet from the door when Flint slipped on some fresh fruit on his table, the undead surrounding the table in unison, reaching and drooling all over the edges as they clawed for little Flint.

Merlock's garnet eyes flared. "NO! STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Merlock growled, his fangs lengthening again as he leapt swiftly off his table and landed hard on the nearest of the drooling zombies. His boots went right through its back and split it down the middle. The top part tried to crawl across the table form Flint, but Merlock's boot came down on it's head, the squish of the meaty gray slush of dead brain flushing across the wood.

He swung his sword at the other, beheading those closest as he grabbed Flint up with his free arm. Merlock got off the table and made a dash for the door, the undead moaning at his heals for their flesh and blood to dance on their lip-less faces. Merlock paid them no more heed as he dove into the darkness of the opening, sliding across the unseen floor. When he stopped, the light from the kitchen was gone and the sounds of the zombies long lost in the wind. 

Merlock waited a moment before standing in the darkness, putting his blade away and Flint down. He waited a moment, for Ezekeil to taunt him, lights to appear, but they got nothing. Merlock sighed deeply and pulled his wand out again, using it to light their way. 'Damn you Ezekeil….trying to break your promise already because I'm so close to defeating you. You've got a lot to answer for….especially why you are using my mother's memory in all this." He hissed out, starting to walk in the darkened area. Flint followed closely, looking up at him with childish curiosity. "What?" Merlock asked, blushing," Are their entrails in my hair again?"

Flint chuckled and shook his dark head. "No….you said your mother's memory. You remember your mother now?"

Merlock gave off a warm and tolerant smile to the boy. Flint never got to know his mother. Merlock had just regained memories of his own he never knew he had. "Yeah….started with dreams when I found this pendant in my attic. I even found the house where I once lived in this time, where I was born…. and a statuette of my mother. Oh Flint….she was so beautiful," Merlock explained lightly, taking the lovely pendant out to show the boy," She was also killed in the village nearby, burned alive."

Merlock knew that was probably the wrong thing to say to Flint, a violent end for another mother of a child lost in the boundlessness of time.   
Flint just kept watching him in the same manner. "Burned? But why?"

Merlock growled a little, but with a heavy sigh he drowned it. "Prejudice….I guess possibly someone saw me and assumed my mother was bad, a demon or a witch. I can't really remember. She said my father was dead, she talked about him like he was dead, so I suppose it was true and he couldn't help her. She hid me under the floorboards and they took her away. I went after her a little while later only to see her being burned….then this darkness cloud came….and I ran away. I was just a little kid then….no wonder therapy was able to block that out….it was too horrible for a little boy to take."

"That's not nice to do….just cause people are different doesn't mean you have to hurt and kill them. That's just wrong and mean!" Flint uttered angrily.

Merlock nodded. "Yeah, it is….but people still do it in dearest Sara's time. People fear what they don't understand, and fear leads to anger and rage, and ends in violence. The worst part about it all was that my mother was a human….not a demon or a vampire. She was one of them, and they senselessly murdered her. I can only remember bits and pieces about my childhood, mostly her death….and how protective she was of me. My beautiful mother….I barely knew her."

Flint looked thoughtful a moment, chewing his little finger slightly. "I can't even remember my Mom….Dad just came back to the cave one day and said Mom wouldn't be coming back. Dad never told me what happened. I have no memory of my Mom." Flint sniffled.

"Aww son, your Mom loved you so much. I just didn't want to talk about it then….maybe when you're older….but now's not the time for weeping. Who know what this count is doing to the others." Rocky put in, a little misty eyed too from the memories in his stone form.

Merlock offered a melancholy smile. "I envy you Flint….you didn't have to see your mother die."

Flint shook his little head. "It doesn't matter if you see it or not….its sad no matter what if you lose somebody you love, Merlock. I bet your Mom loved you to the end just like mine. She wouldn't want you to feel sad or scared. She'd want you to live for her….right?" Flint chirped.

Merlock chuckled a bit, his spirits lifting. "You're right…..she wouldn't like me being sad….not when the angel Sara and friend Pterri are still captives of this dastardly count."

Rocky blinked a bit. "Only Sara and Pterri? Wow, Merlock, you rescued nearly all of us already. You've really grown up, my boy." Rocky said in his gruff and cheerful voice. 

Merlock nodded. "Yeah….I have….ah, hey look! There's a light up ahead…." Merlock beamed, pointing ahead to a faint white light. They started to run towards it, speeding up as a familiar voice screamed through the air.

"HELLPPPP! DON'T EAT ME! I TASTE LIKE TINFOIL! HELP!" Pterri's high and frantic voice screeched, loud grunts and the sounds of large clocks. Merlock sprinted ahead of them, sliding into silvery room filled with gears and a giant clock with demon and skeleton heads. He saw little red, mechanical Pterri tied to the hour hand, the minute hand ticking down a minute at a time towards the little body to crush him flat. Standing under all this was a large bull-man, wearing a fancy red and gold loincloth and brandishing a metallic whip. It was drooling and snorting at Pterri, reaching up for him with deliberate slowness.

"Hold on, Pterri! We're coming!" Flint chirped, charging the man-beast with his father raised high. The thing turned around with surprising swiftness and batted both father and son into a smaller silver grandfather clock, grunting with a heavy white and wet snort as the gears and pendulum spat out around the pair. He moved on his hoofed feet towards them, cracking his whip sharply. It struck Flint's cheek, cutting it open. Flint looks so stunned he might get violent at any moment. His face screwed up like an angry child as he got up, rushing the thing again. He avoided being hit, using his father to block the whip strikes.

Merlock deftly moved to Pterri and cut him loose with his sword. The mechanical bird looked relieved, the minute-hand only three minutes away from crushing him, and Pterri perched himself on Merlock's shoulder. 

"Thanks, Merlock. I thought I was recycling just now." Pterri sighed out brightly. Merlock grinned a bit, moving quietly as he could behind the minataur monster. "No problem," he whispered," Now would you mind flying near it's head and shouting at the thing. Flint can't keep blocking forever."

"Shout at it? But, he's 7 feet tall!! Why would you want me to…." Pterri said frantically, but Merlock looked at him tersely. "Just do it, or Rocky will burst!" he urged. Pterri sighed as he flapped up behind the thing's horned head. "HEY BOSSY! MOOOO!!" he shouted, pecking the thing's head for good measure. 

Merlock wished he hadn't done that, but it was too late. As the thing stopped attacking Flint, it whirled around on Pterri. It's horns whapped the poor robot away screaming. "IEEE!" Pterri screamed, smacking right back against the very clock he'd been freed from.

__

So I stand up and shout at the world!  
For my questions to be,  
But the powers are out of my reach.  
So here I am, still right back from the start!

Merlock took the moment to leap up at the thing and shoved his blade in the thing's throat, getting blood to rain upon his lavender head and pale blue skin. He yanked it back out as he saw one of the thing's large hands reach for him, and rolled away as he touched the floor. He fought the urges for blood, to simply keep his mouth shut, succeeding as the thing made bubbly howls above him. He jumped away as it raged around, kicking it hooves about and chunking up the floor with blood drenched stone and silver. 

The sword was red all the way up to the hilt, as was most of the floor, the creature grabbing at its ruined throat, trying to stop the blood, but to no avail. Merlock just went at the panicked beast against and severed its hands, fountains of rich life of a servant of the dead spraying across the silver room. 

Soon the beast fell heavily to the floor, grunting its last after a minute more of its pain. Then it stopped moving, not a sound uttered in the room aside from the endless tick-tack-tock of the room full of clocks. 

"Try and eat my friends….huh? Peh…." Merlock uttered to the corpse, wiping his mouth off with his dark sleeve.

"Ouch, remind me never to make you mad again, Merlock. Those memories you've been getting back have really changed you from a klutz to a genuine beast slayer. Heck, you could teach us a thing or two about now." Rocky piped. Merlock nodded with sheepish grin and a slight blush, picking a dazed Pterri off the floor. In a few moments, the mechanical bird was himself again, perching himself safely on Merlock's shoulder again.

"Well, that's everyone except the enchanting love of my life Sara Goodman." Merlock stated triumphantly, looking about for a door. He saw none at first, then the large clock started to chime for two fifteen in the morning, or afternoon. Merlock didn't know which, AM or PM. There were no windows in here. Still, there would be eventually. If he had to bet on it, the sky was still dark outside. He'd started his quest at night and he'd been here for many hours, it had to be the next night by now. 

He waited with Flint, Rocky, and Pterri patiently as the last chime came, then the clock started spinning backwards rapidly. The room rumbled, making them all look about in wonder and anticipation. Then the hand hit midnight, and the clock itself opened to a long corridor of red carpeting and beautifully gold lined stone walls. 

"I guess….we follow the carpet…." Flint uttered. Merlock was too worried about what was guarding and bothering his dearest angel Sara to care what was said now. "Yeah….let's go then." He said, taking the first step towards the new area.

**_~ Master Throne Room Door ~_**

Merlock walked briskly, leaving the others to try and keep up with his quick pace. He knew Sara had to be close, she just had to be, he could almost smell her rose scented skin, taste her chaste and inviting lips, and dive into her warm and silken arms of an awaited embrace.

He smiled a bit at these thoughts. He knew she was close. He could see a large wooden pair of doors far off at the end of the torch lit hall, making him smile wider. 'Oh Sara, I'm coming, oh my darling. I will never let you go. I'll always protect you from harm….no counts, no monsters, no horrors to befall you, my love. Just us and happiness forever….no harm will come to you while I live. Ever!' he thought happily, closing his eyes a moment to dance in such thoughts of bliss and romance. He'd spoil her with gifts and attention once this was all over. He'd even tell Jillian and Sara's family, by Sara's lovely side that they were in love and dating. He would face it all, all for their love, all for their eternal promise of the heart. Merlock would love Sara endlessly.

"Merlock!" Pterri sang out, but Merlock was still stuck in his fantasy. "Yes dearest?"

Pterri cleared his mechanized throat a little. "Well, what can I say, I'm flattered, but, we have reached the door."

Merlock would have blinked, instead stopping in place and fighting off the urge to blush at his slip up. He opened his eyes slowly as Pterri finished with," But we have a problem."

Merlock saw what it was as his garnet eyes slipped back into reality, the floating pink form that made his blood boil with hate and hurt at the same time.

"BINDI!?" he shouted. Bindi just floated there with a sourpuss on her white penguin face. "Hello, Merlock love." She said, but she didn't sound happy. Merlock didn't look happy about seeing her at all.

"I'm not your love, traitor! What are you doing here? How dare you show your treacherous face to me….back-stabber! You sold my true love Sara out!" Merlock cried at her, only souring her face more.

"Sara's soon to be ancient history, so long as I keep you out here for ole Ezekeil to take care of that whiny Goodman brat. If I do, I get to keep you forever….and I intend to collect, Merlie." She uttered sweetly.

He was ready to rush and beat her down bloody when he heard a voice cry out from behind the door. "NO! Stay away! Ieeee!"

Merlock felt his heart squeeze with pain when he heard the angel's voice and felt her fear. His Sara would die if he didn't take care of Bindi first. 'I can't kill a Time Shifter…but Sara will die if I don't do something fast. SARA! Gods….I'll never forgive you for this Bindi….I won't let you or Ezekeil win!' he thought angrily, snarling at Bindi as he reached for his blade.

__

Destiny's calling leaving my future to be,  
Destiny's calling, screaming in anger!  
My thoughts are out of reach!

I hold my soul inside of my hands  
The **future is my past**!

**_To Be Continued…._**

Teaser: _Songfic, and **second to last chapter** of the tale. **Merlock** **vs**. –drum roll- **BINDI**! Yeah, then Ezekeil_…._If you want to have a hint of how it may go, look for the Helloween song "Forever and One (Neverland_)_." **Special note- **It is not a sad ending for Sara and Merlock, only very dramatic. I'd never kill them off. Here's a lyric hint =_

"_Forever and one, I will miss you._

However, I kiss you.

Yet again, 

Way down in Neverland….

So hard I was trying.

Tomorrow, I'll still be crying.

How could you hide your lies…..

Your lies….."


	8. Ch. 7- Master of Destiny, Merlock’s Choi...

**__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of **Flint: The Time Detective**, or the **Helloween** song **Forever and One (Neverland). **I also do not ownthe borrowed dialogue excerpts from **Castlevania: Symphony of the Night**. Some of Dracula's lines actually fit for this final reckoning. Now, so I won't get sued, lines from this cool game will be indicated by a **. I do own Ezekeil, Madeline, and the monsters. Yes, the final chapter is here, **but it is not the end yet**. The epilogue comes after this. Enjoy the final battle and the final secret of Merlock Holmes' past.

****

Chapter 7

Master of Destiny, Merlock's Choice

**_~ The Castle of Count Ezekeil ~_**

~ Master Throne Room Door ~

Merlock stared hatefully at hid former friend Bindi. He was shattered she'd go to such terrible lengths to win him over. He was enraged by it as well, it was the audacity of the deal she'd made with the vile count, keeping Merlock out of the room while dear Sara was being tortured, or worse by that madman. They had been friends once, but now that could never be ever again. Bindi had betrayed him for her petty jealousy, endangering the true love of his life for her own selfish and hollow desires, her own impossible desires. Bindi and Bindi-Master did nothing for him romantically, he didn't care about long blonde hair or how she looked, she had been merely a friend. A time shifter he had saved from wolves and even Dracula himself and this was how she repaid him, a knife in the back, twisting it slowly.

Merlock was simply hurt by all this, he'd been hurt less to hear Bindi snitched on Sara to the monsters, but it was steadily climbing to pure hatred for her horrible deal. He simply drew his blade. Sara was still screaming inside, off and on with shattering noises. He couldn't waste his time with Bindi and her hollow crush on him gone psychotic. He had to save his true love from Ezekeil

__

What can I do? 

Will I be getting through? 

Now that I must try to leave it all behind.

Did you see what you have done to me?

"Bindi, get out of my way or I will slice you in half. I do not, I repeat, DO NOT love you! Nor do I like you anymore as a friend. You've been nothing but a traitor to our friendship….all for your hollow feelings! How could you do this Sara and me!" he shouted at her, but she didn't move, only pouted. "I had to save you from that bratty girl's wiles somehow. You think none of us in the Land of Time didn't see you….well mostly moi? I saw you at night, sneaking out to be with that Goodman brat. She had you under her wicked spell still, even after Jillian forbid you to go near that place….I was only thinking of your career self-destructing over a silly human bimbo. Not to mention she was leading you on….had to be an act cause she was hard up or something. Ich!" Bindi sassed, floating upwards a bit to avoid an anger field swipe from Merlock.

"How dare you say that, you psychotic, neon-assed floating snail! You utter bitch, you don't deserve to be a Time Shifter with such a horrible and callous heart. I will never love you, I will only love Sara. You can't make me be yours! EVER! Hssssss!" he hissed out, jumping at her and swiping again.

Yet again, he missed, landing neatly on the floor near Flint and the others. Pterri flapped madly as Flint stepped forward to make a go at her. "No, no! If you kill her, the Tapestry of Time will go insane, we may cease to exist! We have to stop her another way." Pterri squawked.

Merlock looked at him tersely, then back at Bindi, who was floating back down with a haughty smirk, her little pink, bud-like arms crossed over her chin. He looked back to Pterri a bit, knowing the mechanized bird was correct. If they killed Bindi, Sara might die anyway, and so would they, no heaven or hell, just oblivion of destroyed time. "Then what do we do?" he asked quietly. Pterri smiled a bit, and gave a little wink, landing on Flint's shoulder.

"Flint, just do as I say, ok? Merlock, distract her any way possible. I have a sneaky little plan to get Miss Lonely Hearts down and out without damaging time itself." The bird said with a knowing smile. Merlock blinked a little, but finally just shrugged and nodded.

He looked back to Bindi, and took a few steps to keep him two feet away, his most charming smile on his vampire lips. She reddened a bit, and he grinned mentally at how easily she was to trick. For Sara, he'd distract the little snotty gumball, with charm or violence. He didn't really care how, as long as he reached Sara.

"Now Bindi, kindly move please, or we can't be anything anymore." He tried gently. She frowned and shook her little pink body. "No, you'll just drool all over her and pay no attention to me. I'm staying right here…."

Her bit back the urge to bite her beak off and swallowed deeply, getting his resolve back. "But Bindi, I can't let an innocent person die. It's against regulations of the Time Police to ignore distress of any kind." He said smoothly, but all that came was her annoying body shaking.

"I'M IN DISTRESS HERE! DISTRESSED WITH LOVE FOR YOU, MERLIE!" she wailed in his face, his hair blowing a bit up at the force behind it," With Sara gone, no more competition! You'll….giggle….be all mine. Mine! Mine! Mine! You'll have to love with me without little Miss Whiney Brat Shoes around…he, he, heh. Yeah, without Sara Dorkman, you'll be mine forever! Now, yeah now, I'll get you back with me…."

She was shaking like crazy. Bindi was crazy with love for him, love he didn't feel in the least for her. He almost pitied her, but she was obviously crazed. She needed to be helped, made to forget him. He lifted his garnet eyes up to her giggling face, her eyes tightly shut with tears. He saw Flint behind her, shaking his small head sadly. Bindi was truly something to pity, she was pathetic in her hollow dreams. "Bindi….you can't get something back…..that you never had to begin with." He said softly, angry and pitying the poor Shifter all at once, in voice and sight. She blinked a bit, shaking even worse as her face grew enraged.

She glowed a bit, and Merlock doubled over slightly. She was draining him of his life, weakness overcoming him all at once. "Then if I can't have you….. YOU WON'T HAVE ANYONE! I'd rather you die than be in her claws!!" she screamed, and he felt a sharp tug and she drained more.

__

So hard to justify.

Slowly it's passing by….

He shut his eyes tightly, trying to move away, then the feeling lifted, a loud thudding filling his ears and vibrating through his boots. He strength slowly returned and as he opened his eyes, he saw a petrified Bindi before him, her little petrified form lolling from side to side. He looked up at Flint, his father aimed right at where Bindi had been floating. Flint smiled brightly and blew on his father's stone head. 

"No killing, not even Time Shifters are allowed to kill people for any reason." Flint said with a pout. Merlock nodded, standing up slowly. He stared a few moments longest at the stone form, and gave it a small kick. "We never were anything but friends, Bindi, now, we're not anything. You killed the friendship we used to have…..forever." he said to the form, and it shed a few tears.

"Too late….too little, too late, Bindi. It's over…." He said, picking her up and giving her to Flint. "Now….let's stop this madman….for everyone who has suffered, and for my beloved Sara's pain as the Count's captive. We will stop him for all this, once and for all, and find out the truth behind the madness he's unleashed on our lives." Merlock said softly, then stopped.

"Merlock…." Flint said, but Merlock shushed him, listening to something.

Flint waited a moment, then whispered. "What do you hear?"

Merlock paled a bit, shaking his head violently with wide garnet eyes. "That's just it….I don't hear anything! SARA!" he yelled and grabbed the door handles, yanking them open so fast the gust nearly blew his friends over. He ran inside so fast and frantic, he never noticed the doors slammed behind him, blocking him off from the others, setting him alone against the master of the castle.

**_~ Throne Room ~ _**

- The Court of the Dead -

Merlock rushed in, wand and sword out and his face determined and angry, only to find….

"SARA!" he shouted, his anger turning to joy at the sight of his beautiful love, standing at the edge of the shadows in a sparkling and angelic bridal gown. He took a few steps before his love struck eyes met her throat, a dagger to it, and a white-gloved hand holding it. He looked up slightly, and had to growl. The silhouette of the count was holding his beloved hostage. 

Now that his eyes were returning to the defense, he saw his beloved's eyes were vacant, just as pale blue as his skin, hypnotized. "How dare you do that to her!? This is between us….for some reason, Ezekeil. You leave my beloved out of this!" Merlock shouted, slashing his sword in the air.

Ezekeil merely chuckled, taking a step. Merlock could only see his black decked legs, leather he had to guess, a black and silver cloak dancing at his black booted heels. "I recall that you once tried this method for a kiss…little Merlock. How the worm has turned. You do so honestly love this frail and weak human creature, don't you?" the man chuckled deeply.

Merlock just growled, his fangs pinching his mouth a bit. "I never got the kiss, you pervert….but that was a long time ago. I've grown past that….not just tonight either. Give me back my girlfriend….and we'll settle you game once and for all." Merlock spat back.

The man seemed to not hear him, taking another step, showing off his fine dark suit and fluffy blouse shirt under it all, a red and gold sash on his hips. The dagger still held at Sara's neck, nipping her jugular just barely. Merlock's eye quivered at the sight of her blood briefly trickling down her lovely throat. His eyes narrowed after that on the drop and his senses were driven wild, as they were each time he saw and smelled her blood.

"I see you're almost to the time of transformation. That is good to see, I'd expect nothing less from a Holmes….sigh….you do so look so much like your dear mother Madeline Bellemonte. It's nearly uncanny how you inherited her immortal beauty."

Merlock's trance to the blood broke slightly, his garnet eyes look at the shadow covered face of the count, puzzled. "You….knew my mother? Bellemonte? She was a Holmes…." Merlock stuttered, then the count stepped out fully, his face in fully view for all.

Merlock's jaw fell a bit. The main had long white hair, down to just above his knees, long, shimmering and silken looking. That wasn't what was making his heart hammer with fear, it was the man's face, his pale, blue face and red as blood eyes.

"Madeline was indeed your mother, but she was born a Bellemonte. She became a Holmes when she married me….secretly of course. I, Ezekeil Holmes, am your father….son." the man said quite easily, his fanged and smug lips smirking quite easily.

__

Forever and one, I will miss you

However, I kiss you….

Yet again,

Way down in Neverland.

Merlock bit his own tongue to ensure it wasn't a dream, and from the pain and taste of his own slick blood, he found it was reality. The man had a less angelic face than Merlock did, the man's face a bit longer and aged to a 30-year-old at best and a thin mustache above his pale lips.

He was watching Merlock like a proud lion, and Merlock felt a bit annoyed. As a child, he'd thought his father was dead, not undead. True, if he'd thought otherwise, undead would have applied to explain his vampire nature. No wonder his mother always looked outside the window at seemingly nothing, weeping softly. The castle had been what she was looking at, longing for this man, the man that held them all hostage.

"But….if I'm your son, why are you doing this to my friends!?" Merlock yelped, still startled.

Ezekeil gave a slight toss of his hair and chuckled. "I had to see if you'd grown up strong as we had hoped. What else could I hope for my half….human son. Now that you've passed through the tests, sadly without killing any of your friends, we can talk. You're so much like your dear mother, Merlock," he said fondly, smiling thoughtfully," She loved everyone. She was never too busy to help simpering and fearful humans, the same humans that burned her alive as a witch. I see you inherited her pure heart….sadly enough. Her heart got her killed by those ticks, all for helping a vagabond pregnant woman….one accused of witchcraft herself. Humans are too frail and easily hate others. Such a petty and jealous race, like that foolish and loud woman I threw in the dungeons."

Merlock sneered a bit, not liking all humans being set in the same category as the vile Petra Fina, his eyes subtly resting protectively on Sara. "Was my mother included in that assumption!? Not all humans are weak and jealous….my Sara is perfection. You have no right to judge humans as you wish just because you have power. That's just terribly wrong and vain!" Merlock retaliated, trying for another step forward, but had to stop as his father pressed the dagger against Sara's neck again.

"Oh please, do you remember what they did to your mother** ….to my wife? She was burned alive, kicking and screaming as they drowned her in holy items before ramming a stake into her. That's humanity….fear, superstition and jealousy….they never gave her a chance to defend herself. All she did was help some stranger….it wasn't the fact she was hiding a dhampire son or had secretly married the patron count of the town, no, it was a stupid woman in labor. They judged her for being a good person and no other reason! They deserved what I gave them all….eternal damnation as my servants. I do believe you've met some of them." Ezekeil said darkly, grinding his teeth a bit at the bitter memories.

"You….were the darkness….the death cloud that chased me to the woods!" Merlock said as the realization crashed into his mind. Ezekeil nodded sadly. "I did not even know you were born until I saw your form running away from town. I killed the entire village after I took what was left of your mother out of the flames, then I went to find you. If I could not have Madeline, I'd find you and raise you in her honor, but then you simply vanished with that odd woman, like a dream. I buried your mother on the cliff behind this castle, where we loved to stand under the moonlight. I believe you were conceived there. It was her favorite place….before she left." Ezekeil replied, his tone sad and soft.

__

So hard I was trying.

Tomorrow I'll still be crying.

How could you hide your lies….

Your lies….

Merlock just nodded, taking small steps closer. Ezekeil seemed lost in his memories, so it was a good time to move as much as he could. "Tell me….," Merlock asked, half curious and half hoping it'd keep his father distracted," how did you meet my mother?"

Ezekeil smiles a bit, his fangs shimmering in the pale and colored moonlight that filtered through the gothic stain glass windows. "Madeline was a healer, a midwife by profession, but she could have been a priestess….yet, she wanted children. She helped women bare their young with little pain, gave homeless children medicines and food, she was a saint to the town. She was never too busy or tired to heal wounds or attend a birth. She was only thirteen when I settled in the castle. An adulterous king, a man who's own wife murdered him, had abandoned it and the mistress murdered her. As you know, murder begets murder and soon it was labeled a palace of death and abandoned, perfect for myself to take precedence over." He explained, his hold on Sara never wavering.

"I met her quite ironically….in the forest where I lost you to that odd woman. She was gathering herbs for her practice one night, and I was looking for a meal. When I saw her, I was ready to feed on her milky throat, until she turned about to my presence and I was in awe of her enchanting face and innocent blue eyes. I was younger looking then, just as strong as ever, but I was helpless to her eyes. Her hair I found unusually hypnotic, so bizarre a color for a common human….and instead of harming her, we talked. She was not afraid of me….she even laughed with me. We'd meet there every night, to talk and over the course of a year, we fell madly in love with each other. I wished to see her in the sunlight, but being a full breed Azure vampire, it would kill me to have seen such beauty."

He paused a moment, smiling at the dear memory. Merlock almost felt bad for him, almost. He had loved his mother dearly, but without her, he'd become….terribly different. "Garlic and rose petals are no matter against me. Crosses and holy items perhaps….," he said subtly, eyeing Merlock's blade," Just like your newly acquired silver Damascus of that long undead holy knight….quite damaging to a vampire, but not to you. You, son, were the product of a human woman and a vampire lord, you'll never be touched by the items of blessed bane I have to deal with." 

He sighed, smirking a little. "Your mother…..I wanted to make her like me once, so her beauty would never fade and we would never be apart, but alas, she loved the sunlight and wanted children….and I did not dare wish to take any slight bit of happiness from her. You are my envy in a way, my son. You can have children, having human blood swirling in the infinite pathways of your blood. Your blood does not bear the curse of mine….I never thought it could happen, me getting her pregnant at all, but if she'd been a vampire like me, you would never have existed. I suppose…I am glad that I refrained from such things….I loved your mother for who and what she was, but….she told me once she bore children, she would join me forever, as a vampire, someday. Then tensions grew in the town, towards outsiders and myself. Your mother said she had to leave me for a while…." Ezekeil went on, stroking Sara's hair with his free hand.

Merlock did nothing to antagonize the dagger hand, only keeping his hands on his weapons and eyes on Sara's milky throat. "I had no idea she was pregnant with you….not until the night of her death. For so many years, I never knew why Madeline had left, why she'd never mentioned being with child. Perhaps…..deep down she feared for you more than her own soul. I always kept my feedings to myself. She didn't seem to mind it much. Madeline knew I couldn't help what I was. She did feel poorly towards my victims, my meals, but she knew there was no other way for a vampire to survive. I suppose she wanted to spare you becoming a creature of the night, one that needed blood every so often to survive, to stay young and strong. Then, I lost you both in one night. So I sealed myself deep inside my castle. There I could mourn both wife and son for eternity in my damned resting place," Ezekeil sighed, smirking slightly again," Then that loud woman woke me up and got her life spared for knowing where you were. After a bit of torture, the controls of her device were explained, and you know the rest, really. This was all for you, Merlock, my son. The time of transformation is at hand."

Merlock shook his head a bit, blinking. "What transformation….?"

Ezekeil chuckled, nipping Sara's neck slightly again. Merlock's garnet eyes met with the blood flow, again, the gentle and short-lived trickle making his heartbeat hammer out of control. "It is time for you to feed for the first time, as I did at your tender age. You must have felt strange each time that you saw blood shed. Your heart beats madly, you feel thirsty for some odd reason, your fangs grow and pinch your little mouth, and you can't see or smell anything but warm, powerful….blood," Ezekeil said smoothly," You've been lusting for it probably for some time now, a year or so. You're coming of age as a vampire in a way. And all you have to do to calm it is….drink this young lady to death."

Merlock froze slightly, his eyes meeting with his father slowly. "You….brought me here….cause I'm in vampire puberty and to make me kill my only love?! Why don't you just dip me in boiling oil and say it's a hot bath while you're at it?! Are you insane?" Merlock growled.

Ezekeil nodded. "If you put it that way, no. I wanted to see if you were strong enough to rule by my side, son. You're human side is such a bore and I lost my mind when I lost you and your mother to mankind, to time. Yes, I brought you here to see how strong your mind, body, and soul were, now is a test of the heart to see if you are truly worthy to rule here with me over the miserable humans. You either drink her or you'll drink someone else. In time, you won't be able to resist the urges, you may hurt Sara worse than you could even dream occurring. Abandon the man blood inside and join me, then we will rule together as we were meant to, to avenge your mother's memory."

"NO! I won't murder my Sara! She's the only woman I've ever loved in my life! You can't make me do this! I'd rather die that hurt Sara. I won't let you hurt anyone anymore, for anything, not even against the men that murdered my mother. It's all gone, Father! It's gone, mother is dead, her killers are dead, why can't you bury it?!" Merlock shouted, tensing up as his father moved his hands. 

__

Here I am,

Seeing you once again.

My mind's so far away,

My heart's so close to stay.

Candles hidden in the cover of shadow sprung to life behind Ezekeil and Sara, blue flames swirling from each dark wick. Then Ezekeil moved again, stepping back to the throne, sitting Sara down. Merlock's eyes looked above it for what was brief curiosity, yet his eyes stayed. There, above the throne, hung a gorgeous tapestry with a crest, a red eye with blue cat-like pupil, the eye itself surround by sharp, black points. It was exactly like his pendant. Merlock really was born in the past, this was his family crest, the pendant wasn't his mother's truly. It had been a gift from his father's family legacy.

Then he saw a flash of metallic light, and his eyes jerked to see the dagger at Sara's tender through moving. Merlock took a step too late Ezekeil lifting his hand off the blade, the thing floating in mid-air as it gentle pierced Sara's jugular. The blood leaking out gently, Merlock's urges combating terribly with his rage and fear. "NO! You…bastard! Oh Sara!" Merlock yelled and ran for her, but with a lift of Ezekeil's hand, he was knocked back a few feet.

Ezekeil took out a blade of his own, just a broad sword, ancient and shimmering. "You have maybe a few minutes before that dagger cuts her open full and she bleeds out completely and dies. If you want your precious simpering human girlfriend, you go through me. We'll see how much of you is a vampire, and how much is a weak little man." Ezekeil growled, readying his body for combat.

"Merlock hissed ready and willing to fight for his love. "You'll regret ever touching her. It was mankind that brought you back to find me, and you repay me with treachery!" Merlock howled, slashing down, the move blocked and forced back.

"Mankind…peh! What is a man….a miserable pile of secrets!** Mankind is our prey, son, you'll realize this soon enough, mankind is the lesser species, even lesser than that annoying, egomaniacal little snob snail creature. Now, the time for talk is over, for Sara's blood will soon run cold! HAH!" Ezekeil shouted, dodging yet another thrust from his son.

Steel met steel, sparks flying from the blades as they met in the heavy metal symphony of father and son. Merlock put his wand quickly back on his hip, devoting both hands to balance and poise in the battle. He didn't want it to come to this, this….creature was still his father, his only relative left and now he was forced to fight through him save his only love. His sense were going crazy with bloodlust, the smell of Sara's life slipping away driving him to the brink of madness, but he fought it every step of the way.

Merlock countered his father's blade hard, the fight against his thirst driving him harder to succeed. His father was bigger and stronger, but not as swift. Merlock was more agile and swift, easily dodging attacks that could not be held back. His father took a mighty swing at his chest, to which Merlock leapt over him and made a quick slash along the vampire's shoulder blade. He heard the flesh sizzle on contact, a feral growl erupting from his towering body. Ezekeil turned about, his free hand clutching his holy poisoned wound, teeth bared at his son's hardened face. 

"Are you that eager to fight for a human….this frail girl who couldn't even put up a fight?" Ezekeil growled and lifted his sword high, slamming it down towards Merlock's body. Merlock merely jumped away before it struck, his leg getting cut open slightly. It hurt, but it did not burn. His blood flowed gently as well, making the smell of coppery, crimson bliss make his fangs and drive grow all the more. He jumped forward again, wincing on his injured leg, an double slashed at his father's chest.

The first cut was blocked, but the second went through, sliding deep across Ezekeil's ribcage. His skin sizzled, no blood coming. The man had been bloodless since he became a vampire probably. It was only the damnation of the undead spirit keeping Ezekeil up and running that was being poisoned slowly.

"I'd do anything for Sara! Where the hell did your heart go, or was it there to begin with. How could my mother love a man such as you? How could you stain her memory by taking the one woman that means everything to me away just so I can damn rule by your heartless side!? What kind of a husband were you….giving up on humanity so easily for a group of fearful bigots!" Merlock yelled, hitting against his father's blade, knocking him back a bit.

"You….saw her die?" he questioned, the puzzlement in his voice true. Merlock almost laughed. His own father really didn't know much about that night other than what he lost.

"I got my memories back….when I saw the house….her pendant, the statuette! I watched her dying….she never thought of herself, never! She told me to run….love was in her eyes even when she was dying! And she knew she was going to die….she took time she could have used to escape to hide me under the floorboards, to give me the pendant of the Holmes family, the fire cane….no thought for herself. She only thought of me….a scared little freak of nature! She was beautiful….and you didn't even know. All this pain and death wraiths of your design that you've thrown at me and never did you even considered that I was in as much pain as you were. You didn't see her dying there, you didn't see me trapped in that house, with only her. I had no one but her and they took her away right before my eyes!" Merlock screamed, slashing hard again, Ezekeil nearly faltering with his hold," And you come here to tell me about being strong and worthy when you're the weakest creature in this room! Where were you when we needed you!? Where were you when they took her away!? Your revenge is as empty as your heart….you've spit on my mother's grave!"

__

Too proud to fight,

I'm walking back into night.

Will I ever find someone to believe?

Ezekeil growled loudly, his eyes flaring up like unholy flames. "I DIDN'T KNOW!!!! SHE SIMPLY LEFT ME WITHOUT TELLING ME! How could I have known anything? That she was pregnant, that the villagers would do such a thing? If I dared to go into the village, they'd know all the sooner and you'd both be dead. How can you be so ungrateful….I'm your father! You'll learn some respect, I never damned your mother's memory in any way, this is all for her….!" Ezekeil screamed, rushing forth.

Merlock's blade went up, blocking it as he heard a soft gasp of pain and the clatter of metal on marble. He held against his father's crushing blow, turning his head to Sara. His eyes were horrified to see the dagger had fall, stained with blood, Sara's innocent, virgin blood. Sara herself was breathing shallowly, the trance gone and she was holding her bleeding jugular as it spilled her lift out.

"SARA! NO!" he screamed, moving swiftly in a whirl to her left, slamming the blade into his father's gut. The vampire reeled back with more sizzling flesh, the slash not deep enough to do damage. Ezekeil was enraged nonetheless, and raised his blade high, looking past Merlock….to Sara's dying body. "I will end this foolishness….if you will not give in and take her….I will destroy her! YAHHH!!" his father raged and charge for the throne. Merlock jumped for the throne, pulling out his wand. "FATHER! STOP THIS NOW!" Merlock shouted, but his father wouldn't stop. 

Merlock begged his mother's forgiveness deep down, even though his father's mind was twisted with insane grief, and let the flames loose upon the vampire lord. The flaming form stopped a moment, still several feet away, but shook off the ash of his ruined clothing and kept coming, his eyes of crimson bliss maddening. Merlock closed his eyes, waiting till the scent of his father was closer and quickly lifted his silver blade to where his father's heart would be.

He felt the blade jerk a bit, the loud clatter of a blade sounding to his side. He let his garnet eyes open, looking dead into his father's startled red gaze, then to his own blade. It was dead through his father's heart, sizzling rapidly, all the way up to the hilt.

Merlock was stunned he'd hit his mark, but sad in a way. He'd killed his own father, his flesh and blood, but….it had to be done. He couldn't let an innocent die for a mad revenge that was over years ago.

"I'm sorry, Father, but you got what you wanted a long time ago. It's over. Mother's gone….the townspeople are gone….your time is up, forever." Merlock said softly, letting go of the blade. Her picked his Sara up in his arms, her paling skin frightening him more than his urges for blood. His father fell to his knees, a small smile playing on his paling lips.

"Born in the month of December….you were, the month of death…and rebirth. It is….almost ironic….the Holmes family….reborn through you…and dies in me. Its almost funny….you know, my son. –cough- Well met, child….you are truly, ungh, worthy of the Holmes name…and worthy of your heart. You did as I hoped."

Merlock blinked, his lips quivering with fear. "What are you saying? You wanted me to….kill you?"

Ezekeil nodded, panting heavily as his skin started to flake off. "For a long time, I hoped I would die…and go to your mother. Now, that day is here….I am sorry…to have deceived you to do so….but it was….partially in truth. I despise….all humans now, save for your mother. I needed to die to end the hatred….or my vampire blood would have gone wild with bloodlust for humans, to end them all. When I discovered when and where you were, perfectly alive, I hoped….it would help us both. It has….though….my hatred will never die….my empty soul will trouble humans no more with it. 'Tis a hollow victory, my boy, but this was your destiny until my end. Now….I leave you to decide her fate….to die….in which I surely know you will kill yourself after wards or to turn her into what you are….and continue the legacy of the Holmes family. You are all that remains…." The elder man coughed, his hands flaking off into dust.

"Father….it didn't have to be like this. The murderers were punished….why did you have to make it this way? Why did you force me to kill you?" Merlock pleaded.

Ezekeil merely chuckled lightly, more of him becoming pale ashes about his crumbling body. "I died, not when became this vampire you see before you crumbling in agony, but when I saw your mother dead in the flames. My heart, my mind, my hidden soul….gave out on me. I've been dead these 16 long years….no one can change that, not even your heartfelt words. Now choose, my son….for I can't choose for you. As you said, my time…ah…is up." The vampire lord said softly, then jerked his head up in pain as his form become nothing but a pile of pale black ashes, the sword nestled inside it like a brilliant headstone.

__

The ashes sifted a bit, a whisper echoing in his mind. Perhaps from beyond the grave, or something he had hope his father would have said, something to ease the pain as he watched his father die, his love near death as her blood wet his arm. "_I'm going to be with your mother now, I hope and pray I will. Farewell, my son, never forget_…._who and what you are, you are a Holmes, always will be. The last of the Azure Vampire Clan, be proud of that_…._as I was and your mother longed to be_. _Never forget_…._that we love you, Merlock_…._son._" his father's voice echoed softly, like a feather on the wind, lost in a second after it was over to each passing moment.

His garnet eyes went to his Sara, his true love and the woman he'd die for. She had only a little blood left, so sweet smelling and chaste. They were alone now, the battle was won, and the truth was revealed, secrets best left unsaid brought to light. He was happy to know who his parents were, but he was unhappy he had been brought to slay his own father or kill his only love.

Merlock sighs a bit, watching his Sara. The longer he stared, the slower her breathing was, his pale lips forming a sad smile. "Know this, my love, dearest Sara. I will love you forever, no matter what happens. I will love you until the end of time….an beyond." He said sadly, pressing his lips to her cool mouth in an innocent, petal soft kiss.

And then, Merlock made his choice.

__

Forever and one, I will miss you.

However, I kiss you.

Yet again, 

Way down in Neverland 

So hard I was trying.

Tomorrow, I'll still be crying.

How could you hide your lies….

Your lies….

Your…._liesssss_….

**_To Be Continued…._**

Teaser: Heh, cliffhanger huh? You'll all see soon enough what their fate is.It will be out next week, filled with explanations of the song used in the chapter, why I chose Castlevania as a basis for this tale, and the aftermath of Merlock's ultimate choice, along with Lara Fabian's **The Dream Within** to set the tone:

"Be the dream within,

The **light is shining**.

A **flame on the wind**,

****

Salvation begins."


	9. Epilogue- Kiss From a Rose

**__**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of** Flint: The Time Detective **or the** Lara Fabian **song** The Dream Within **from the epic and one of a kind movie** Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.** I know its been a long journey to this point, fans, but this is the closing sequence for **My Future, My Past**. Explanations first:

****

1. Why I chose **Forever and One (Neverland)** as the song for the earlier chapter is simple really, it was dramatic, beautiful sounding in my mind for such a heart-filled battle. It seemed to tie in with Merlock living the lies of the future Jillian gave him as well as the lies of the barriers of his mind that hid the truth from him all his life. Merlock, even though he killed his father, who represents his true destiny as a vampire, still loved his father despite the lies. 

He will miss both those of the past and future, shedding tears for the fallen and lost. Merlock never forget the pain of what the truth cost, his father's and mother's lives, his friendship with Bindi, and a normal life. Forever and one means forever and beyond to me, one time greater than the last. 

As is the love Merlock feels for Sara is eternally true and boundless, so is the time it will stretch, in life and death. The song concerns love and time, staying in fantasy world will only shatter you. It seems decent to protect someone from a tragic past with fantasy, but its still all lies. The lies were broken through this story and the painful truth and destiny brought to light by the night. Accepting it is only part of the battle, to remember it in his mind and not letting it engulf him is the true victory for Merlock. Now you shall see if he gave in or conquered.

****

2. The reason for borrowing monsters and a couple lines from **Castlevania: Symphony of the Night **is because, simply, a powerful vampire should be with powerful allies and beasts of lore, all drawn to the darkness they were cast in by the old gods and jealous mortals. Scylla was a victim of such tragic fate and turned from pristine beauty to sea beast, as was the Minataur a creature of a god's petty revenge on an ungrateful king. Zombies are creatures doomed to roam the dark and light without rest or escape from the pain of being undead, eternally needing flesh, brains and blood to remain alive in their own terrible way. 

Creatures of the night are outcasts and terrors in the eyes of humans, set apart from normal people because of their curses to crave the flesh and blood of the living. Outcasts, essentially, vanquished by an outcast of humans, the hero of the game Alucard, the son of Dracula. The theme of vampire's own child ending the pain of time the master is set upon humanity seemed to coincide with Merlock's life. We never really hear much about his past is that he possibly has a clan, one we never see in the series, and he's got the genetics of vampires in his blood to help him heal faster. He does not exactly state that he is fully blooded, at least that's what the episodes say. 

It just made me wonder why he never spoke of parents or where he clan was exactly, so this story was my own interpretation of why he never speaks of them, maybe he never knew them or forgot them somehow. I really don't know how it was with Merlock, aside from comedy relief he didn't seem to deserve, but if there is ever a second season, I hope the creators do more with Merlock than they did the first time around. A girl can dream can't she? Oh yes, and **DOWN WITH BINDI** and **MERLOCK AND SARA FOREVER!** No other pairing will do him justice but her.

Now, on with the final installment, his for all you very, very patient fans. Thanks for pushing me so hard to complete my first Merlock story. If I forgot to explain anything, let me know.****

Epilogue

Kiss From a Rose

**_~ Bureau of Time and Space ~_**

- One Year Later -

Tony balanced a cold, sauce-wet meatball on his finger, staring at the steadily spinning hands of the wall clock. Normally his visits home were fun, like he'd get to go on adventures with Flint and Rocky or play some new video game he bought with his absent minded uncle, and his sister, he'd tease her and brag to the family about how well his career was going. He could almost hear her musical laughter, that wisp of fuchsia as she'd pass by and the skies of her bright eyes.

Not anymore, Sara wasn't coming back. She and Merlock had been out of their lives ever since Count Ezekeil's terrifying plot ended. None of them, except Flint, knew completely what happened that fateful night. Flint didn't talk about it, even when he was asked. Flint seemed very sad that they were gone. He did shed some light on why Merlock even came to the bureau in the first place. Merlock had been seeing Sara behind their backs. Tony had never really liked him. He felt Merlock was too sneaky and disappeared a lot, not to mention being a vampire.

__

Free…._the dream within,_

The stars are crying….a tear.

A sigh escapes from heaven

And the world's end. 

It was too late for regrets and old vendettas from a lost childhood. Flint had come back alone from the castle in a daze, then wept openly with his father and Pterri. All the boy said through the sobs and tears was that blood leaked out from under the door, that he tried to get in, but nothing worked. 

All the child could do was watch the blood coagulate by the door, the clatter of metal and smell of flames and ash in his nose. He had come out from the palace an hour after running away from the door, to get their help to open the door. No sooner had he reached them did every shutter, window, grate and door seal tight, locking them all out.

Hours of vain attempts, of summoning every Time Shifter except Bindi to get back in, Flint ripping a tree out of the ground to use it as a battering ram, and even his father's Hammerhead Rock attack. Nothing worked. The palace was sealed from all for who knew how long.

Flint was better now, but still, at times, Tony and his uncle would walk in on him crying softly to the moon, hugging his father tightly. Wracked with sobs of their own of hidden mourning, they'd embrace the poor child and cry for their lost friend and relative.

It was nothing if but poetic in a way, like Romeo and Juliet. Merlock and Sara, gone from this life in that room, all for love, to defend their hearts, and it got them killed. They dared not return to that time, even if they were allowed. Jillian immediately forbade that area and time from all of them, even herself.

Tony had been in her office when she made the statement concerning retrieval of the bodies. Her nose had been so puffy, her eye bloodshot and wet with endless sorrow, trying to sound as superior authority as she could. They found out then that she had adopted Merlock when he was a child, a fugitive of his time that couldn't be sent back. She and her parents had helped to raise him best they could, therapy was used to make him forget his nightmares and wiped out his recollection that was from the past. 

They had tried to do the same about his being in the future, but that wasn't so easy. Jillian had raised the little blue bundle into a handsome and overly romantic young man. By the time she reached the end of her proclamation, she broke down and cried.

__

Breathe…._the dream within._

The mystifying….

__

We tremble and spin,

Suspended within!

Tony hated it. They didn't know for sure, did they? Sara might be alive, Merlock too. Flint never saw the bodies, only blood and heard noises. Tony played it over and over in his head so much it made a vein throb is his forehead. Thanks to Jillian and the rest of the Time Police superiors, Viso and the castle of Count Ezekeil were off limits regretfully, for it was labeled a hazardous environment, nearly cast into chaos by Petra's greed. None of them had the power to even help themselves, let alone lost comrades and loved ones.

He let the meatball drop and splatter on the floor, how his heart felt, like it was falling to pieces with grief. Right now, he'd have nothing good to say to Sara about his dying career. All year, his grief took its toll on his skills and his team. He finally asked for leave. The coach understood he was grieving his dead sister or lack of his sister's presence, but only gave him a few months to regain himself or he was off the team. Tony couldn't blame the guy. So many winning streaks before the nightmare, and now they were last in the league.

He sighed, not hungry as he sat there alone. Flint had actually refused to eat quite often, feeling utterly lost and responsible for what occurred. He and his uncle and Rocky did their best to calm Flint's anxiety of blame down, but only Flint could master it. They'd leave it to him and his father. Flint wouldn't die from refusing a few meals, but over time, he'd get sick. Tony didn't want to lose someone else, not again, not ever.

His thoughts were jolted as the doorbell rang, and he lifted his brunette-haired head up slightly, lost blue eyes stare towards the metal door. The doorbell came again, then loud knocking. Finally, Tony slid out of his seat and went to open it.

He looked dully at a deliveryman with a metallic tube package. "Yes, may I help you?" Tony said dully.

The elder man, his shaggy brown hair sifting about in a slightly breeze. I hope so. I have a package for the Bureau of Time and Space….for a Tony and Bernard Goodman, Flint and Rocky Hammerhead as well. I was debating on whether or not you'd be here….we've had this scroll for a long time."

"How long…?" Tony asked, eyeing the package a bit more intensely. "About….five-hundred and seventy-four years, six months, three days and….," he said, looking up a bit as if he had memorized this answer for a while," ten seconds now."

He held out clipboard first. "Sign here please…." Tony nodded and did so. "Over 500 years? Who would…."he said, then stopped, his eyes widening a bit in mid signing.

__

Merlock? SARA!?

He shook his head, smiling a little as he finished his signature and gave the man back his clipboard. The man nodded, tucking it away neatly, then gave Tony the metal tube. He barely got to tip his hat as Tony slammed the door in his face, sprinting to the control room as fast as his legs could carry him.

~

Uncle Bernie and Flint were still in there, along with Pterri and the soon to depart Getalong. She only visited these days, no Time Shifter came to Earth for very long. The Old Timer felt they should remain with those of The Land of Time for their own safety. Who could disagree, or had the feelings to do so, then….

They were all blandly monitoring time, nothing much happening, as always. Petra was still missing, gone without a trace. None of them knew where she was, nor did they care. Time was quite safe and normal, hopefully for a long time. He just smiled at them all, prying open the tube as he jogged up to them. Uncle Bernie looked up first as the parchment within slid into Tony's hand, the symbol faintly shining in all their eyes. They'd all seen the symbol of the ruby eye in blue and black, a few sparse tapestries of the castle of Ezekeil had been littered, areas they only saw upon entering, not exiting.

__

Look beyond where hearts can see.

Dream in peace.

Trust, love, believe....

We tremble and spin,

Suspended within!

'Where'd that come from?" his uncle asked, sounding a bit breathless as he and Flint stared at it. Tony broke the seal and opened, reading to himself quietly. His grin grew wide as he did, tears daring to cross his creamy cheeks.

"Mail service….its…they're alive!" Tony wept, not being able to stop shivering and sobbing as he tried to contain his bliss. His uncle took it from him carefully, reading as well, smiling broadly and his eyes watered.

Flint was jumping up and down as Tony wept happily, Rocky's eyes bouncing around in his stone head. "What is it? Read! Read!" Flint begged.

Uncle Bernie nodded, wiping his eyes with his dusty lab coat, taking a few deep breaths to control his tears and heart from exploding all over the letter:

Dear Goodmans, Hammerheads, Pterri, Jillian and all our friends,

We know it has been a long time, but not nearly as long for you as it was for us. The castle finally opened up for us….so many centuries we lost in our dreamless sleep. We have a couple surprises for you in this letter, but…the signature reveals one such. We do apologize for making you wait so long, but Petra escaped the castle, possibly long before I even reached the throne room. I found no bones in the dungeon I discovered them in on that fateful night I entered the castle. I suspect they left a while after I refused to help them. The Catamaran was long gone as were they, stranding us in the past. I, Merlock, have atoned for my lost past. Ezekeil….was my father. He was the last of my supposed clan, the only Azure vampire other than myself left. No need to go back in time, the castle still stands thanks to us. WE are still there, waiting for you. It should be exactly a year after the day you were kidnapped….that you receive this. Sara and I hope you will all come….except Bindi. I'll never forgive what she did to Sara and to me.

We truly hope you will come to see us. A lot has changed….and Sara and I both hope that you will forgive me for what has occurred. I was only trying to save her….and no worries. The beasts of this castle will no longer trouble the living….or the dead.

Sincerely,

Merlock and Sara Holmes

"Alive! YEAH! All right, Sara and Merlock are alive!!" Flint cheered, tossing his father up and down in the air, the poor stone father weeping happily. Uncle Bernie's lip twitched a moment, looking half ready to cry or start laughing.

"They….they….they…." Uncle Bernie was saying. Tony wiped his eyes, breathing hard as he stared at his uncle. "What? What's wrong?"

Then Uncle Bernie made a goofy grin. "They're married. Ohhhhh….." he said right before he fell over, fainted away. Tony simply blinked with Flint at the poor man. 

__

Free…._the dream within,_

The voices calling, a song.

A prayer from deep inside you

To guide you. 

Tony smiled then, patting Flint on the back a but with a knowing look. "He's happy….trust me. I'll uh….go call Ms. Grey…you go get a bucket of ice water and wake Uncle Bernie up….ok?" Tony told the cave boy. Flint nodded and trotted off, Tony thus following him out a few moments later, only one solitary thought brimming in his once sorrowful mind. 

__

Sara…._oh Sara, you're alive!_

**_ ~ The Castle of Lord Merlock and Lady Sara ~_**

Time had blessed Viso, Romania from the nightmares of the past. A lot had changed since the woman with green hair and the lad in the cloak disappeared into the dark castle. The people of that generation were blessed days later with the disappearance of the monsters and terrible noises unnatural to the norms of night. Only crickets and animals could be heard, not ungodly howls and the click clatters of beasts and demons upon their rooftops. 

The castle stayed quiet, the lands safe from harm as was its people. The town blossomed from superstitious and sickly to a wonderfully thriving and brought about gothic beauty beyond measure. Fear of the undead and beasts became a thing of legends, a past that was only in ghost stories and to wow the tourists. Then four hundred years later, the castle had light within the gothic windows of untouched stained glass. The fear nearly returned until a letter reached town, informing the public that the castle was being restored by foreigners who were left the castle in a will. It laid fears to rest slightly, but no one ever saw those restoring it. 

Time went on, electricity and gas gave heat and light and plumbing brought about cleaner water that in days of old that were acquired only by fireplaces, candles and the village well. The castle seemed to be the first to start the trends, making contributions from their unseen family fortune to the town's well being. Everyone wondered who they were, but no one dared approached the dark surroundings of the place of many ghost stories. To them, fear conquered all, and to those inside the castle, love conquered all.

__

Be…._the dream within,_

The light is shining.

A flame on the wind,

Salvation begins. 

If they bothered to sneak upon the grounds, they'd see a garden full of red roses, sparkling dreamily with fresh dew and care. The garden was well loved, as was the castle, untouched by blemish and the slime of monsters. It was a fairy tale of gothic hearts, beautifully dark like an onyx jewel that pierced the sky. If the town bothered still, they would see much more. To walk deep inside, to the secret pathways to the far away cliffs near the toiling and foaming sea, they see the master and mistress of the castle standing there, a bouquet of roses in the woman's hands and an urn of silver in the man's.

~

Merlock just stared out at the dawn-blessed sea, holding his father's ashes close to his chest. He was an adult now, the transformation was done with. He had not been pleased to be forced to bite his beloved's neck and drink what little life she had left, but it was all she had. To death was all one needed, and he was only half a vampire. True, for all his eternal life he would have to drink from the living. He had made sure it was only from terrible criminals and those that were truly terrible. He only needed to feed once a month at best, as would poor Sara. He couldn't give up on life or hers, so he chose to live on as what he was, the last of the Azure vampires.

Sara had been surprised he skin was the same shade as his, but at least her hair was more or less the same, growing just a touch lighter. Her eyes were still the same startling blue, the color of the sky at first light, enchanting to the end. The bite and sharing of blood did it all. Cutting his wrist with his fangs did hurt, but Sara was dying at that moment, not nearly enough blood left to keep her alive. Then he put the wound to her paling lips, letting her feed off of him so they would be the same, alive in a way and always together. They were the same thing now, dhampires, free of the weakness of vampires, to live in eternity, together and forever in love. Merlock was happy she was all right and had forgiven him for his choice.

"_You told me we'd be together forever. I don't think any less of you, Merlock, not for doing as your heart tells you. You're very brave, loving and true. I love you, not just for who you are, but for what you are_…._You're the man I love, the man that I will love forever and beyond. I almost wish your mother and father could join us_…._if fate hadn't been so cruel to them. I just know that I could never be angry with you for doing anything_…._for love._" She'd told him when they woke up after nearly four centuries of sleep, their bodies aging into 22 years olds at best. He was as tall as his father was now, Sara an inch or so below and her figure blossomed to full womanhood. 

Merlock didn't care how old she looked. He simply loved her for her ethereal beauty most of all, her good heart and those enchanting eyes. He grew out of being a sneaky romantic, he wasn't a child anymore. He was a man, and now the master of the castle. He kept the monsters at peace and did his part to help Viso heal with them, to make up for his father's grief stricken mistakes. There were no more illusions to face. All they needed was love and forgiveness. He had forgiven his father more or less for what he'd done. Today was the day to make it official, and say good-bye to him.

Soon, Sara's family would be able to visit them at long last, and they wanted everything in order before they arrived. There were surprises enough in their letter, but they had not anticipated the current surprise within Sara's womb, now seven months grown round her belly. Merlock had nearly had a heart attack if he were still capable of having one when she told him. Ever since then, he'd been nothing but happy. Soon he'd be a proud father as well as a noble husband.

__

Look beyond where hearts can see,

Dream in peace.

****

Trust, love, believe. 

We tremble and spin,

Suspended within! 

He gazed at Sara's pristine face, her lovely, heart-shaped face glowing like a new robin's egg. She was even more stunning in the sunrise. She was always beautiful, no matter what, but she got even more beautiful every day to him each time he looked upon her innocent beauty. He sighed a bit, taking the lid off the urn. "Ready, beloved?" he asked, voice full of tender love.

She gave her sweet smile to him, unwrapping the delicate and blood red bouquet as the wind tussled her hair a bit. "Yes….let's give him a proper send off….we need to do this finally. We've healed the wounds of Viso and most of our own….its time to tend to your father. After all, without him….you'd never have known where you came from." She said softly.

He nodded a bit, tilting the urn over a bit as the wind picked up. "Yes….though some I'd rather to have to have never remembered, but you can't run from your past or you'll never have a future. Yeah, its time to say good-bye to my father after so long. I hope he found mother….and they're happy. I know I am, my love. Let's do it." He said proudly, and poured the pale ashes to the elegant threads of the wind, to carry it to the cloud where it belonged.

Sara let the flowers go free too, many petals breaking free from their crown of their thorny staff. The petals of crimson soared through the ashen littered winds, climbing into the soft morning clouds, vanishing in spirals of shade and color.

"Now….it is over. Good-bye, Father….I may not have agreed with your methods to see if I was worth leaving the castle to…but, I know you meant well in your own mind. I will miss you and mother terribly. However, its time to let go. I am still happy….and the castle is safe. Just rest….good-bye….forever." he whispered to the wind, blushing gently on his slender cheeks as Sara hugged him warmly. 

Her smiled at her, leaning down to capture her soft lips in a kiss. He explored her mouth with gentle sincerity, deepening the slide of his tongue with hers as they grew warmer.

They parted after several minutes, smiling lovingly into each other's eyes. "So what are you hoping for, dearest?" he asked her playfully, teasing her hair a bit with his slender and dark gloved fingers.

She made a coy smile, flicking one of his buttons. He had grown used to the clothing style and colors his father had bestowed upon him. It suited his tastes. It was blue at least. "Well, a girl….I'm hoping. You? A boy I bet." She replied, her tone teasing him, jovial chuckle mixed into it.

He had to smirk at her, leading her back inside the pathway that led home. "I don't care either way. I'd like one of each really….but from what the doctors say, we're only having one right now. Our….-blush-….reproductive fluids don't work the same as they did when we were more human. It takes more time to conceive children for a dhampire, as we've discovered. It was wonderful realizing it though." He chuckled, getting a light punch on his arm.

"Don't be such a hentai….heh, yeah it was wonderful. Well, I'd like to have more than just one. In due time anyway….for now….we'll wait for our little one to be born….Oh. –giggle- The baby just started to kick again." She sighed, patting her stomach. He put his hand to it, feeling the little kicks hit his hand smoothly. He simply smiled, pecking her cheek.

"Nothing but happiness for us now….I'll be your noble and true husband forever, my beloved angel."

"Aww, you're so sweet….I plan to do the same, forever and beyond, nothing's going top hurt us again. If anything happens, we'll face it together….Oh, I love you so much, Merlock."

"And I you, my pristine goddess…." He sighed

"And I also know you love me enough to make me a triple-decker fudge, banana, sushi, and peanut butter brittle sundae with extra whipped cream and a cherry on top."

He almost fell over, but simply chuckled. "I love you enough to make you two of them….I'd do anything for you, Sara dear." He smoothed, leading her home to toil over the wiles of pregnancy cravings.

__

Free…._the dream within,_

The stars are crying…._a tear._

A sigh escapes from heaven

And the world's end.

The couple walked away from the cliff side opening, never seeing a dark wisp of air pass it by, the devil's laugh inside as it whipped away into the long gone dawn. Neither heard nor seen, it vanished, the opening gone cold.

**_Death is Never The End…._**

Author's Note: Yes, at last** My Future, My Past **is complete. I hope everyone enjoyed it, but as I finished this off, -evil giggle-, a sequel came to mind with Merlock and Sara's kid as the main character. Stay tuned this spring or summer for **Zodiac: Stones of Time.**


End file.
